The Swan Princess and the Swan Savior
by sgcycle
Summary: Life has settled in Storybrooke, but Emma Swan still feels the call to be the Savior. Little does she know that there is a new princess in town who desperately needs her help. A curse to break, true love to find, old friends and new ones, black-hearted villains, and more are in store for these two Swans!
1. The Swan Necklace

**Chapter 1- The Swan Necklace**

 _Present Day: Storybrooke_

…

The lake was like any other lake in Storybrooke; it was small, well-maintained by city ordinances and local volunteer trash collectors. Families which included small children and dogs came to gallivant around its borders, not noticing a single special aspect in the body of water. But a significant earth-shifting and magic-bounding from Storybrooke's last fairytale crisis had altered a few things, namely a water vein had opened itself up to allow the precious magic from the well with properties to restore what was lost to this particular city lake. Back in the Enchanted Forest it had the honor of a rather famous moniker…Swan Lake.

The mayor of Storybrooke, Regina Mills, would have eventually had the dwarves examine the storm water overflow but not for now. With the departure of her son too many things occupied the former Evil Queen's mind of yet to bother with a trickle of liquid that slowly made its way underground into the lake waterbed. Over the course of several peaceful months in Storybrooke, the water slowly trickled downhill to its destination.

Which was fortunate for one lost soul…

The swan glided gracefully downward, alighting onto the crystal clear lake waters with nary a splash. She had once been a magnificent specimen of her species; wings as white as snow, a long proud neck, a streak of gold on her noble head, and the beak that would flash in the sunlight. Now, she was a mere shell of her former self, with withered feathers and a head bowed under years of heartache and loneliness.

But all of that was about to change…

The ephemeral moonlight graciously stroked the surface of the lake and then it happened so unexpectedly: a bright blinding light…an arch of water…suddenly, the swan was no more.

A young woman broke the surface of the filthy pond water, throwing her head back in a graceful arch as only a swan could do. She gasped in air before sinking down into the water again. Even though the lake was only waist-high she struggled in the mud with both her arms and legs towards the shoreline, pulling herself up into the overgrowth of the willows and reeds surrounding the small lake.

Princess Odette of the Kingdom of Schwanense hugged her knees to her nearly naked body as best as she could, struggling to draw warmth to herself. The moonlit winds slowly reflected onto her legs, her arms, her filthy blonde hair, and then finally her hands. She lifted them, seeing her human fingers for the first time in over 30 years. Tears made small rivulets on her face coursing down her soaked cheeks as she wept for sheer happiness. She was human again. She did not know how, she did not know why, but she was human.

But then a sickening thought came…where was she? This was obviously not her kingdom.

As the young woman breathed into her fingers, struggling to find warmth, the moon shifted its gossamer light off of a sign post near the lake shore, illuminating the letters just enough to be read from afar. Odette studied the strange etchings.

"Storybrooke?"

…

The graveyard shift was one of the few things about her job as sheriff of Storybrooke that Emma Swan _truly_ loathed. In her nearly three decades of life, Emma Swan had had some unusual jobs and been required to do the _strangest_ things, but nothing compared to the boredom of the once-a-week required graveyard shift in the sheriff's office. Since the defeat of the Black Fairy, life in Storybrooke had settled into its own semblance of normalcy for the past year. Obviously there came a fairytale crisis once in a while, but the last one had been a simple matter of fighting a literal Big Bad Wolf and that was months ago. Ultimately with the quiet times came the mundane requirements of a small-town sheriff which she had blissfully ignored during the times of fairytale crises. Her office paperwork had piled up of course and honestly, at this point all she wanted was to just use her magic to blast the dratted stuff to smithereens. She knew that, despite her mother's obvious wishes for a normal life, the Charmings were not destined that and she was almost itching for a new role to play. A new battle to fight and for her to be the Savior and to help others find their happy endings.

Truth be told, at this point she had come to accept it as a part of her and life, the battles fought, loves won and lost, and the curses to be broken. You learn to live in between the crises, as her pirate had once said to her. But now…was it strange that the crises and the winning of them were oddly fulfilling? That defeating villains and helping others find their happy endings made her feel amazing? Should she feel guilty for wanting to go back to being the Savior in addition to the Sheriff?

 _Wonder what Hook would say to that,_ she thought. Thinking of the lunch date he had planned for the two of them tomorrow afternoon, Emma smiled and tried to resume her focus on the tasks at hand. Just for the purpose of getting it done faster so she would have less to do tomorrow, and then more time to spend with her pirate husband!

From her office she called out to her fellow night-shifter. "Hey Dad, do you have the report from the Ursa family break in?"

Searching, David shuffled a few folders and papers around on his own very untidy desk while Emma held back a smirk. She was fairly certain at this point she got her level of cleanliness from her father, not her mother.

"Here it is." David held up a large file folder. "Another B&E." He heaved a sigh as he opened the file to study the report. "Honestly I wish that Goldie girl were to concentrate her efforts on more productive things."

"Like what, stealing cars? It certainly would make things more exciting around here."

David leaned backwards to look past the glass door of the main Sheriff office and fixed a critical eye on his oldest, "Very funny." He obviously did not share her sentiments.

Emma shrugged and glanced towards her office window to the full moon shining outside. A lone wolf howl resounded and she smiled as she thought about the wolf residents of Storybrooke; undoubtedly Rayne the wolf-girl or one of the werewolves was out and about this evening. _Glad those guys are not dangerous, the full moon always makes people here a little on edge._ Indeed, as she glanced up at the moon she herself felt …a stir, an awakening. She studied the white face further. _Strange,_ she thought. _I feel as if I am meant to be somewhere or help someone. Be a Savior again._ She frowned as she tried to mull it over in her mind. After a moment where no clarifications came she shrugged and tried to turn back to the boring paperwork. _Wonder what that could have been?_

"Emma? Are you alright?"

The sheriff glanced up again, this time towards her father. He was looking at her with a sweet concerned expression on his face. "Yeah I'm fine Dad," she quickly reassured him.

Charming's forehead creased as the studied his little girl further. "You look a little distracted; is there anything wrong?"

She swiftly shook her head, wanting to reassure him that her feelings of unease were not worrisome. "No, really, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

Charming sat up straighter, his full attention on his daughter. "About what?"

"Just how…quiet things have been lately. And how…it's been kind of nice I guess," Emma did not like to lie to her Dad but she felt that a little white lie would not hurt. Her parents really seemed to enjoy the quiet life that Storybrooke had to offer and she did not want them to think she was feeling less than satisfied by it.

Charming hid a frown. He could tell that she was holding something back but he knew that he should not push her. Clearly something else was on her mind but she felt like she needed to keep it to herself for now. No, the best thing for his baby girl was to just wait and make sure she knew that he was here for her if she ever wanted to talk.

"Alright. Well I'm here if you need me."

Emma smiled sincerely. "Thanks Dad."

…

It was brightly lit inside the homeless shelter, with high-beamed ceiling, perfectly clean tiled floors, and colorfully wall-papered surroundings. The usual soup kitchen furniture consisting of long rows of portable tables and chairs were scattered about. A large, curtained opening with a shelf for holding trays led to the kitchen but nothing was being served yet, the wee hours of the breakfast venue were just beginning. A group of twenty or so vagabonds from various fairytales milled around and conversed in low tones, waiting patiently.

All eyes of the hungry occupants turned when the curtains of the kitchen window were thrown open.

"Breakfast is ready!"

There was not a rush to the call, more of an orderly shuffle as if everyone understood their place in the pecking order, and no one was in a hurry to jump into the queue. The soup kitchen had been in business since the first curse and the woman who ran it was a well-known matron, intolerant of any such disorder. She was also legendary for her ability to run a full household.

"Come on you lot," the bulbous female called out, "I ran a house full of children and we all lived in a giant's shoe! I know you are all hungry, now don't be shy!"

This announcement seemed to put many of the tenants at ease, a line finally formed leading towards the kitchen window as everyone was served a hot breakfast. There was more smiling and laughing as the porridge, bread, and fruit slices were given generously to all.

The last one to be served was a young woman. She walked up to the counter shyly, fidgeting with her dirty hair and trying hard not to appear terrified. As she did to all of the newcomers to her soup kitchen, Mrs. Shoe made a quick assessment by studying the stranger. Late twenties-to-early thirties, very pretty face framed by tangled blonde hair and smudged with mud, wearing an assortment of unclean, too-large clothes that had clearly been liberated from a donation box in town, and smelling like pond water.

 _Probably another peasant girl_ she thought, not unkindly. _Wish they would learn to use the modern plumbing of this world and bathe inside every once in a while._

Odette slowly shuffled up to where she had seen the other vagabonds being served a hot meal. She hesitated before confronting the woman behind the counter. What was the proper protocol in this land? Should she beg as she had seen so many do in other kingdoms? Her stomach growled loudly and she knew that, despite being a princess, at this point she was not above such things. Should she offer her services as a kitchen maid in exchange for a meal? Having not used her human hands to do simple tasks in a long time, she was fairly certain she would be less than useless in the kitchens. The food smelled so good and she was so hungry, Odette stood there dumbfounded for a second until the large woman behind the counter simply handed her a bowl, heaped with steaming porridge.

"Here you are my dear," the lady of the kitchen said with a smile.

Odette could not believe her luck, the bowl was in her hand and she had done nothing. Such generosity in this land! "Thank you, my lady. Thank you!" she stammered out.

Mrs. Shoe let out a hearty, belly laugh. "No need for that title my dear. I was only a simple peasant woman in our old land and in this world I do the best I can for all."

But Odette had already turned away and scooped at the food with her fingers, placing it into her mouth before she even sat down at the long table decked with disposable cutlery, plastic cups, and folded paper towels as napkins. Once seated, she continued to indulge in her first meal as a human in over 30 years, not bothering with utensils, until someone nearby coughed loudly and she glanced up.

Everyone was staring at her.

Odette deliberately chewed slower, swallowed what was left in her mouth, and wiped her lips using the sleeve of the oversized man's shirt she had purloined out of a dumpster near the park lake. _I am a princess sitting amongst vagrants and here I am eating like an animal._ She folded her hands neatly in her lap and ducked her head until the others finally got bored of staring at her and turned their attention to their own breakfasts.

Odette delicately plucked a spoon from the cups set up on the table and resumed her hurried eating, this time with the utensil. _Just because I have been an animal for the last few decades is_ no _excuse to start eating like one,_ she berated herself at her very unprincess-like behavior _._ Her thoughts became more rational as her stomach became filled and warmed. _Besides, I have to make sure I am not recognized in case someone here is in league with…_

A sudden lurch in her lungs caused a coughing fit which overwhelmed her next thoughts.

The kitchen matron quickly walked over. "Are you alright Miss?" Mrs. Shoe asked softly. She lightly touched Odette's shoulders, who flinched at the gentle touch.

"I, um…I am fine." Odette held her hand over her mouth, fighting to stop coughing. With her fingers on her lips she was able to feel the soft, feathery down before even seeing it. Shocked, she held both of her hands in front of her and saw white feathers beginning to grow between her fingers.

 _No! This can't be happening! I can't be turning back into…_ but a quick glance out the window confirmed her suspicions. The sun was coming up and the moonlight was receding. She could have cursed. "I have to go!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and shoving her hands into her huge sleeves to hide them. She could feel more feathers starting to sprout on her arms. "I am so sorry, but I must—" she turned and ran right into another kitchen patron, spilling the contents of his bowl down the front of his shirt. Enraged, the man let out a slew of oaths directed at the princess. She cowered away like an animal recoiling from a predator.

"What's wrong my dear?" the lady of the kitchen asked, as Odette frantically tried to shove her way to the exit. At this point, the whole of the homeless shelter occupants were watching the chaos, extremely interested.

"No, no, no! I have to get out of here," Odette stammered out as she shook her head and felt the sting of tears in her eyes. How could she have not thought of this? That she would turn back into a swan right in the middle of a crowd!

Bursting through the emergency exit, Odette rounded the side of the building, squeaking in terror at the sound of the fire alarm blaring inside. She wondered if the horrible shrilly noise was a call to arrest or restrain her. Best not to find out. Her bare feet slapped against the pavement before a sudden breeze scooped her up into the sky, hurling itself under her wings and almost causing her to collide with a telephone pole.

Anyone looking outside would have seen a white swan flapping its wings and struggling to rise higher and higher, only to dip down and head for the city park once again.

…

Captain Hook was always punctual and today was no exception. After completing his morning patrol as deputy, he greeted Emma at precisely 12:20 pm at the sheriff's station.

"Ready for a bite to eat love?"

Emma quickly closed the folder of that blasted paperwork. "Yes!" she pocketed her sheriff keys and stood up. "The rest of this paperwork junk can wait until after I get some food in me."

David chuckled from his seated position among the other sheriff station desks. "You certainly get cranky when you get hungry." Then he eyed his son-in-law with a critical glance. "Make sure you bring her back in a better mood and in one piece pirate."

Hook nodded his head. "I can assure you mate your daughter could not be in better hands." He held up his hook. "Metaphorically speaking of course."

"Really?" Emma was slightly mortified. Her father acting like a harsh, over-protective father as if she were a teenager and her own husband playing along with it! The station rang with laughter from the two men and then five minutes later the young couple was outside in the beautiful spring day.

Emma and Killian began their walk around the main city lake, sharing the events of the day. It was unbelievably normal and comforting. The two wandered around the shoreline for some time before settling comfortably on a park bench and opening the warm paper sacks from Granny's Diner.

"One grilled cheese with fried potato strips for you," Killian handed over the sack labeled 'Emma' with his right hand, "and one pickled herring and grapefruit for me," he opened the other sack expertly with his hook, releasing the heavy smell of fish.

Emma almost laughed. For all his time spent on land settled in Storybrooke, Killian continued to follow his strict 'scurvy' diet which included a health dosage of seafood and fruit every day, and then of course…

"Care for a drink love?" The ever-present flask came up and poured a generous amount of rum into Killian's plastic drinking cup.

Emma shook her head, smiling. "No thanks and I thought we agreed to lay off the stuff for a while?"

Hook threw up his hands in a mock-surrender gesture, not admitting defeat but rather teasing her. "And risk losing my positive pirate outlook on life? Not a chance in all of the seven seas Swan," he answered as he slurped down a healthy gulp of rum. "Besides, you know you'll never see that 'wish realm' version of me again!"

Emma could not help but smile as she studied her pirate carefully. How strange it was to be sitting here, as they had done many times in many places before, but there was not crisis at hand and no battle to fight. Ever since that odd incident last night, she had the sensation of feeling that she was supposed to be the Savior again and save someone, _somewhere,_ but she did not know any specifics. What could it be?

"Everything alright love?"

Killian had broken Emma's musings. She let out a frustrated sigh and her eyes wandered, "Yeah I'm fine. It's just… I've had this funny feeling lately. Like I am supposed to help someone. I mean we have not had a 'fairytale' crisis in a long time and I was wondering—"

"That you need to be the Savior again?" Hook treaded the subject carefully. "Swan just because there has not been the need for you to save anyone lately does not make you any less a Savior." He leveled an eye at her. "You've defeated so many villains and saved this town from countless curses, there is no reason to feel like you must always be saving someone."

Emma smiled and was about to respond when the moment was interrupted by some honks coming from the direction of the lake. She turned and saw a swan that had been gliding peacefully alongside the shorelines was now being accosted by a group of teenage boys throwing stones and sticks at the creature. One of the missiles hit the bird's side and it let out a particularly loud honk. For some odd reason, the bird did not try to fly away but remained on the lake, protesting loudly with cries of indignation.

"Excuse me Killian," Emma quickly said. "I think I had better handle this." She stood up and walked towards the scene.

"Aye love," Killian said as he turned and took the sight in. "Duty calls."

Emma strode over with long, authoritative steps and clapped her hands while calling loudly to get the hooligans' attention. "Alright, knock it off!"

The teenagers paused in their assault to glance at her. They had the look of kids who were testing their limits by breaking as many laws as possible and it might have been sheer boredom that encouraged them to start their useless assault. She took advantage of the momentary surprise by calling out as she walked right up to them, "Clear off. That bird has done nothing to you, now leave it alone."

The tallest of the bunch, clearly the ring-leader, rounded on Emma with a look of bemusement. "What's the big deal sheriff? It's just a dumb ass bird—hasn't even got the sense to fly off. This lake is just a smelly eye-sore that should be demolished."

"Yeah? Well lucky for me it is still here and I get to protect it as the sheriff," Emma said, this time with a little more anger in her voice. "Now get out of here!"

The hoodlums all seemed bored by the exchange anyway, turning to their bicycles and pedaling off with a lot of hooting and hollering.

Emma glanced at the lake again. The swan was still there. Emma was not sure if swans could look sad, but this one certainly did with its head bowed and eyes clouded over. The sheriff did not have a degree in Veterinary Sciences, but she was fairly certain the bird was ill-spent with its bald spots, dirty feathers, and very thin appearance.

"Hey Killian," she called over her shoulder. "Would you mind bringing me your sandwich?"

"Aye love," he replied, coming over to where Emma stood at the edge of the lake. "Finally decided to try the pirate diet then?" he asked with his usual devilish-handsome grin.

Emma returned it with a smirk of her own as she took the sandwich. "Not really, I just want to get a closer look at that bird. I think it might be sick."

Despite Killian's protests, Emma broke the bread and fish mixture in two in her hands and unfolded a piece of fish that was not too covered in mustard, hoping it would be enticing for a swan.

She held out her hand and knelt down by the lake shore, "Come here girl". The swan seemed to glance in her direction then shift directions of paddling towards the Savior, but hesitated before coming too close.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you," Emma said in what she hoped was a soothing voice to the animal, "I just want to look and make sure you're alright."

The animal swam closer and closer, its long neck outstretched to snatch at the fish in Emma's hand but she held it at bay for just a moment longer. For some reason, she felt a pull to this creature. It may have been that her namesake was Swan and she had always felt a connection with the beautiful birds ever since she was a kid and had chosen the surname 'Swan'. Other than the occasional trip to zoos with her various foster families, this was the first time she had ever seen an actual swan up close and it was also the first time she had ever seen one in Storybrooke.

 _Kind of like how there were no crickets here until after Archie, er...Jiminy, and I had our little adventure,_ she thought. Perhaps she was reading too much into it, just like she was reading too much into her 'Savior' needs lately, but this creature seemed…different. _She's brave I'll give her that._

Killian approached from behind, also eyeing the bird. "Well I do not see any physical injuries so I'd say your bird is not in bad shape Swan."

Emma nodded in agreement, but also smirked a little. Clearly Killian wanted to resume their earlier talk. Just as well, the distraction was over and she had just wanted to make sure the animal was not hurt after all. She was about to toss a piece of the fish and let the swan enjoy a much-needed snack when a glint of something metal caught her eyes. Whatever it was, it reflected the noon sunlight and flashed a bright glimmer right into her eyes so that it was hard to ignore. But only for a split second, and then it was gone as the swan turned its neck.

"Did you see that?"

"See what love?"

"I think it has something on its neck…a piece of metal or something."

At any rate, the bird had seemingly lost interest when it was clear Emma was not about to give up the food easily. It had turned and was paddling away, its long neck again bent in melancholy.

"Well it seems your friend is not interested in showing whatever it was to you so if you don't mind," he held out his one hand," I'd like my meal back please."

"Hang on." Emma stood up. "I want to get a closer look at this."

Killian rolled his head and eyes heavenly but followed Emma as she walked along the edge of the lake, hoping to entice the bird to come closer again, but had no luck. The swan swam in tighter and tighter circles, avoiding the edge of the lake as much as it could.

Emma heaved a sigh of frustration and finally stopped. Perhaps it had just been her imagination after all. At any rate, she had way over done her lunch hour. Probably was going to have to do some explaining to her dad when she got back to the station.

Killian had stayed by her side, watching the unusual exchange when a thought suddenly came to the pirate. This would be one of the oddest things his glass had been used for, but clearly this was important to his Swan…and he was not going to get his sandwich back anytime soon.

He reached into his black-leather jacket and pulled it out. "Try this love."

Emma smiled as she took the glass, "Having a pirate around sure does come in handy." She extended the glass and aimed it at the bird for a closer look. As it was built to, the eye piece magnified the white tail of the bird, its wings, the graceful neck, and then…

"Killian, I need you to look at something and tell me if you recognize it."

Perplexed, Captain Hook took back his lens and glanced into it, scanning the bird from head to tail. "What am I looking for...?" He paused as he took in the sight. "What the bloody hell?"

"Do you recognize it?"

"No love, but that is certainly not where I would expect a necklace to be."

Emma leaned closer to Killian, as if sharing the lens together. "Do you see what's on it?"

"Aye." Killian lowered his lens. "What can that mean?"

Emma studied the swan again, really taking her in. _Strange,_ she thought, _where did you find that?_

…

"A heart-shaped gold necklace with the image of a swan carved onto it? Are you sure?"

Emma nodded firmly.

Her father shrugged his shoulders and handed back the drawing Emma had sketched hastily at the Sheriff station. "I don't think that is too extraordinary; someone could have lost it in the lake and it slipped onto the swan's neck accidently while it was hunting for food."

Emma shifted her hands to her hipbones, shaking her head. _Oh uh,_ thought David. _I know that posture. She is not going to let this one go._

"I don't know how to explain it Dad but something does not feel right." Emma reached onto the table and fingered her sheriff badge. "I mean…when was the last time anyone saw a swan in Storybrooke? And then there is this necklace and…I don't know it just feels like there is more to this."

"Okay, but are you sure you're not just seeking out a crisis when there might not be one?" David said as gently as possible. "I know you have missed the excitement of being Savior to everyone since the Black Fairy was defeated but there is nothing wrong with the quiet life you know."

Emma glared up at her father. "I am not…looking for trouble or anything. I just want to make sure things are…as they should be." She shared is stubborn look.

"Well what do you think we should do?"

Emma lifted and dropped her shoulders, admitting defeat. "I'm not sure honesty. I could be making a mountain out of a mole hill so I'd rather we not start a formal investigation, just some quiet inquires. See if anyone is missing this necklace."

At that moment, the door to the Sheriff's station opened and Snow White walked down the hall to join them. "Emma!" she exclaimed, quickly setting down her armful of books, notepaper, and lunch sacks on the kitchen table. "I didn't know you would be in the station at lunch today."

A quick glance told Emma that her mother had just come from a lunch break at school, with homework assignments to grade and a meal to share with her husband. "Hey Mom," she said as she enveloped herself into a quick hug.

Snow smiled at her daughter and then her husband, enormously pleased to see both. "Well this is a pleasant surprise," she said, beaming. "I thought you and Hook would be out doing rounds?"

"Hook is on afternoon patrol right now but I came back to the station because I wanted to get Dad's opinion on something."

"Oh really? What?"

For an answer, Emma scooped up the sketch she had made of the necklace and held it out to her mother, not really expecting anything, "This".

Snow's eyes landed on the drawing in Emma's hand, then a crease formed on her forehead and her expression became distressed. As if in a trance, she reached over and pulled the paper from Emma's fingers.

"Where…where did you find this?"

Emma was extremely startled and a bit worried at the expression on her mother's face. "It…it was around the neck of a swan in the city lake. Mom, what's wrong?"

Snow brought her hand to her mouth. "No, no that is not possible…I brought her to the palace…she said she would be fine…"

Now Emma was really confused. And apparently so was her dad. He approached his wife slowly from behind, glancing over her shoulder at the drawing that was causing his wife so much grief. "Snow," he asked gently. "Do you know who this necklace belongs to?"

Snow finally looked up, her expression haunted. "Yes," There was an immense look of trouble in her forest-green eyes, "and it's all my fault."


	2. The Swan Lifts Its Wings

**Chapter 2- The Swan Lifts Its Wings**

 _Flashback: The Enchanted Forest_

…

It was back in the Enchanted Forest, during the time when Snow was on the run from her stepmother. In those days all she did was hide: cowering in damp caves, stealing a few hours of sleep in a hayloft, and living in hollowed logs. She was miserable running from one spot to another like a frightened mouse while her people suffered under the oppressive rule of the Evil Queen. But what could she do? After Regina had tricked her by disguising herself as a peasant woman, Snow had vowed not to get involved with people, not to show herself ever again while she robbed, ran, and collected enough money to leave this kingdom, forever.

 _This is not me_ , she thought angrily as she whittled angrily away at an old stick, just to pass the time until night fell and she could sleep. _Not only has she robbed me of my right to rule, she has taken away my ability to…to help others, to be a part of something bigger._ She smiled at memories. _Like I did with Hercules when I was a girl._

She threw away the stick in disgust and sighed as she shifted her weight trying to get comfortable. She was seated outside of an old hollowed tree that would serve as her home for the next…she did not even know how long honestly. Distracted as she was, she did not notice the dark form gliding down into the Enchanted Forest until it honked.

She turned her head upward. Even though she was alone she spoke out loud out of habit, "A swan?" That was a bit unusual. Swans tended to not care for this enclosed, heavily-treed area of the Enchanted Forest. Then she shrugged and forgot all about the unusual sighting.

A few hours later the moon had come up. As she fetched her skin bag to fill it with water down by the lake, Snow White could not help but pause at the sight. If there was any silver lining in her current situation it was the chance to see the moon and the stars at night, shining in the heavens without the light pollution of palace torches or village lampposts. To be alone, instead of constantly surrounded by servants, ambassadors, and her bodyguards, and to appreciate the stillness was something that she _did_ enjoy. On her way down the familiar path, she was startled out of her star-gazing muses by a foreign sound in the Enchanted Forest.

She paused, listening for the sound again. A soft moan and then a rustle of brush. Snow frowned. Was there a wounded animal nearby? If that was the case, maybe she should try and help it.

She stole through the trees, coming out into the clearing where the lake was, then paused at the sight.

A woman was kneeling just on the edge of the lake water, sobbing her eyes out. She was only dressed in a thin, white full-length chemise and was clearly all alone. Her long, blonde hair hung wet down her back and her dress was fully soaked. Snow saw she was shivering, probably from both cold and fear. The strange woman was in the middle of the Enchanted Forest, clearly without any supplies or weapons, and it was the middle of the night. Wolves, thieves, and other manner of dangers could be out and about.

 _Of course, I am friends with wolves and I myself, am a thief,_ Snow thought wryly. It occurred to her that she was staring at the woman, not making any attempt to move in and help. _Should I even try to help her? What if it's another disguise trick by Regina? What if she is a bounty hunter? What if…?"_

"Derek," the woman had spoken out loud. Snow was a bit startled but then quieted herself to listen. The stranger hung her head, still crying. "I know now that I will never find you. I have searched and searched and still cannot find you." For some reason, she lifted her wet hands close to her face and studied them. "This…this curse, it will prevent me from ever coming to you and declaring my love," she sniffed, "but all I ask is that you do not blame yourself. Rothbart was after my father's kingdom long before we met and I…if we cannot be together, I want you to forget about me and be happy someday because…" she lifted her tear-streaked face to the moon, basking in its magic, "because I love you."

Snow could not stand it. This woman clearly needed help and if there was one thing bandit Snow White would fight for, it was true love.

 _I'll have to risk it; it may be a trap but it may not be._ That settled, Snow emerged from the forest edge with the stealth of a cat. The woman jerked her head sideways, giving a yelp of strangled fear when she caught sight of Snow. She stared at Snow with wild, wide eyes and rose quickly to her feet, clearly ready to bolt.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Snow held up her hands and said soothingly, "I'm not going to hurt you."

The stranger trembled as she continued to stare and did not look convinced. She eyed Snow's bow and arrow slung across her back as if it was something she completely loathed. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I'm a friend," Snow explained quickly least the woman bolted, "My name is Snow; I live here in the Forest and you…you clearly need help."

The stranger looked mystified, and then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do I know you are not working for _him_?" She took a tentative step backwards, into the lake.

"I am not working for anyone, I promise" Snow stepped forward as well. "You clearly need help at finding someone and you're just going to have trust me." She studied the woman in front of her. Her eyes, gray-blues, seemed haunted. As if she had seen too much and been through too much.

"Trust is earned."

"Well then let me help you so that I can earn it otherwise you're just…"

At that moment, the moon receded behind the large mountain pass surrounding the lake. Soon every object in the forest lost their smooth outlines and shadows became even darker, longer, consuming all. Snow hardly noticed because her eyes were glued to the sight that she would have thought impossible. The young woman had stepped further back into the lake with a small murmured "No" before an arch of water and blinding light surrounded her. Snow was forced to shield her eyes but she saw enough. The stranger covered her face as if in agony while the arch of water covered her…and then, she was gone. A small splash resounded and a large, pure white swan emerged from underwater, flapping its wings and shaking the last droplets of water off of its sleek, feathered head.

Snow felt her mouth drop open and her eyes widen. What sort of magic was this? She already knew of one person who was forced to transform into an animal on a full moon but why had the strange woman turned into a swan only _after_ the moon was gone? What was she doing way out here in the middle of the Enchanted Forest?

While these thoughts raced in Snow's mind, the swan glided along the lake shallows, its long head stooping downwards. A single tear cascaded down its black beak and dropped forlornly into the lake.

Snow's heart felt as if it would burst with sorrow. Now she knew for certain that she had to help this creature.

…

The next morning the sun rose with a vengeance. Snow had been watching the swan all day and frankly, nothing interesting had happened. The creature had not approached her, not even when she offered some food, and reassured it again that she meant no harm.

Standing by the lake Snow called out loudly, "I saw that happened to you. There is no point in trying to deny it." The swan honked, sounding as if it was annoyed at her. "If you'd just come over here, maybe I could help?"

The swan raised its head as if to answer when a distraction caused the neck to whip around, gazing deeper into the forest. Snow turned to look to but saw or heard nothing. Suddenly, the creature lifted it magnificent wings and whipped itself into the air with excited blasts of splashes and flying feathers.

"Hey!" Snow yelled out. She scooped up her cloak and gave a chase.

The swan dodged this way and that, trying to make its way through the dense forest as fast as possible with Snow right at its heels. Had this chase occurred two years ago, when Snow first started living in the Enchanted Forest, it would have been impossible for her to keep up. As it was, years of banditry had given her fleetness of foot. She followed the flying creature as best she could, panting and gasping for breath.

The swan had just rounded another clump of sapling when suddenly, from behind a large tree angled on a hillock, a figure burst out shouting at the top of his lungs, "This one is for Odette!" He had a bow pulled back to its maximum and an arrow at the ready.

Snow did not even think twice. She burst into a sprint, ran up and shoved her shoulder into the back of the hunter, knocking him down just as he released the string. It was enough to miss a fatal shot and only ended up grazing the swan on the right wing.

The two humans rolled down the hillock for a moment, tumbling to the bottom of a small gully. Snow White sprang to her feet first, quickly adjusting her hood so that her face would not be seen by this hunter, and dashed back up the hill.

"You! Stop!" the man who had shot the arrow yelled after her. He was clearly not as nimble as she was; he stumbled many times while getting out of the ditch while Snow shot like a bolt from a crossbow in the direction she had seen the swan fall.

After only a second of searching, she found the bird struggling under the forest undergrowth and knelt to make a quick assessment. Not dead, merely injured. The arrow had grazed the right wing superficially. Regardless, the bird was clearly not going to be able to fly well so Snow scooped up the animal, quickly tucked it under her arm as best she could and pelted back in the direction of her hiding tree. She ducked underneath the uprooted bottom of a large tree, concealing herself until she could reassess.

The hunter stumbled to the rise of a log, his sides heaving for breath and his face streaming with perspiration. Clearly he knew he had been outwitted because he suddenly let out a frustrated groan and then stood straighter.

"You can't hide from me forever Great Animal!" the hunter shouted into the deep, dark forest, "I know your form now! I will find Odette!" He turned and tramped away.

Snow waited until he had been gone a sufficient amount of time then quickly left her hiding spot. She ran fast, fighting to keep the bird quiet until they were a safe distance away. For some reason the woman-turned-bird was struggling to get out of her arms.

She was forced to clamp a hand over the snapping black beak. "Calm down!" Snow snapped as she continued to run. "Haven't I earned your trust yet?"

The animal quieted at that and then ceased her efforts. Snow did not stop running until they had reached the relative safety of her hollowed-out tree.

Later that evening Snow shared her meal of fish and freshwater clams with the bird. The swan snatched up the food then made some cooing noises Snow took to mean it was satisfied. She had bandaged the hurt wing as best she could, but was more concerned with when, or even if, the bird would change back into a human. Clearly she could not shift her form at will like Rayne the wolf-girl because she would have done so already. So what was the curse's guideline? Would she remain a swan forever?

Night fell and the unlikely duo were still hunkered down in the tree. Snow was fighting to stay awake and watch the bird, making sure it did not try to run away to find that hunter again and get killed. Her tired mind managed to close her eyes for a moment only to be woken by the sound of scratching at the entrance to her tree; the swan had pushed back the netting covering the entrance to release itself and was now waddling as best it could towards the lake shore.

Snow quickly got up and called out, "Wait!" She scrambled out of the tree and into the moonlight. "You can't leave, that hunter was after you!"

She was completely ignored as the creature waddled faster towards the lake, flapping its wings desperately to outrun its pursuer. By the time Snow caught up, the bird was already paddling in the lake again.

Snow stood on the lake edge, catching her breath. She was about to call out again when the change occurred. The same arch of water, the same flash of blinding light, except this time the swan lifted its wings as if embracing the magic, the feathers melted away to reveal a beautiful woman once more.

Snow was completely dumbfounded. "How…how did you do that?"

The woman wadded in knee-deep water towards the lake edge, slipping a little on the muddy shore and grasping Snow's outstretched hand for support. "Well, it's a long story, but after this—" she held up her right forearm where Snow's bandage was still wrapped— "I think you have earned that trust."

It was then that Princess Snow White came to know the story of Princess Odette of Schawnense: how she and Prince Derek had fallen in love, how the evil sorcerer Rothbart had attacked her carriage, killed her father, then cast the spell on her in revenge for her rejection of his advances to turn her into a swan with the condition that she can become human only when the moonlight touches the lake.

"And you _have_ to be on the lake in order for the moon's magic to work," Snow confirmed.

Odette nodded. "Right, and no matter where I am at, when the moonlight leaves the lake I become a swan." She looked down at her hands, clasped together in front of her. Now Snow understood why she was so intent on them; she only saw her human hands for a few hours every night. "I've been searching for Derek for so long, often not returning to this lake for weeks on end, but have not found him. And if I stay a swan too long, I start to lose things—memories and my thoughts become less focused. But then—" she smiled and even gave a little chuckle "—I finally found him yesterday!"

A thought occurred to Snow, crazy as it was. "Do you mean to tell me that the hunter that just tried to kill you is your true love?!"

Odette shrugged her shoulders. "He obviously did not know it was me. I have heard that he has never given up on finding me, even though his entire kingdom thinks I am dead. "

Snow shook her head, her forehead creasing as she struggled to figure it out. "But why was he yelling about a 'Great Animal' while shooting at you? And what does he hope to accomplish by killing you?"

Odette's eye became distant and haunted. "The night that my father…the night that Rothbart attacked, he turned himself into some kind of creature with wings. A great owl-like monster with fangs and claws. Maybe someone got word of this to Derek and he assumes that I am this shape-shifting 'Great Animal' who carried me off."

The two women were silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts at the impossibility of the situation.

"Well then, the solution is simple," Snow said suddenly. "We get Prince Derek to come here while there is moonlight, you change back into a princess, perhaps a True Love's Kiss occurs and then, —" she gestured widely"—you are free of all of this."

"But we don't even know where to find him again," Odette pointed out, "There is no guarantee he will be able to find this place again."

Snow was already standing up and pulling back the camouflage netting on the tree. "Come on. I have a friend who can find him for us."

Snow White led a very confused Princess Odette deeper and deeper into the dark forest. She was a bit more than frightened but tried hard to keep up with the long, fluid strides of the other princess.

 _I wish I had her fortitude_ , Odette thought at some point, _Imagine, living alone for years in this dangerous forest with its bloodthirsty bears, monsters, and wol—_ " she was interrupted in her ponderings by a lone wolf howl, sounding dangerously close.

Odette clung to Snow's arm. "Snow, there are wolves here. We should go back."

Snow patted the other woman's arm assuredly. "It's okay, it's okay. That's the friend. She said she was going to meet me the night of the full moon with news of the kingdom."

Before Odette could process this information further there came a rustling in the immense forest foliage and a white wolf jumped right out of it. The swan princess let out screech to raise the dead as the animal curled its lips and growled right up at her.

Snow quickly stepped in. "Rayne calm down, it's me!"

The furry head of the white wolf turned, regarded Snow with a very puzzled look, and then ceased her affront. The animal sniffed at the damp hem of Odette's skirt, snorted once or twice, and then stepped back.

A second later, a young woman with eyes the same golden tone as that of the wolf's was standing in front of both women, scowling. "Honestly, why do you people always screech like a couple of seagulls and assume I am going to _eat_ you whenever you see me?" She spread her hands, gesturing to her smaller stature. "Do I look like I am big enough to take down a fully-grown human by myself" Her audacity was astounding.

Odette did not answer, just dropped her mouth open in a very un-princess like manner at the sight of a wolf turning into a woman, and apparently _scolding_ her.

"Sorry about that Rayne," Snow quickly said, "I didn't have time to explain to her whatyou are."

"Oh, hello Snow," Rayne smiled at her friend. Then she looked back at Odette and seemed to regard her a bit more kindly, "Well I suppose that is understandable." She turned to Snow again. "I have the latest news of the kingdom if you are interested."

"Actually right now we need your help with something."

After explaining the plan, Rayne the wolf-girl took a disbelieving step back. "And you want me to do _what?!_ "

"Please! We can help her."

"What makes you think he will follow me?"

Odette had stayed silent throughout the exchange, not wanting to push her luck, but then finally found the courage to contribute to the conversation. "He has already assumed I am the 'Great Animal' and if he sees another animal in the forest, with the same color but a different form, he might come to the conclusion that the 'Great Animal' has shifted and come after you." She finally decided to act below her station and plead. "Please I know it's dangerous but…"

"Are you kidding? This will be fun!" Rayne's demeanor had done a complete turn and she practically skipped with glee. "I have not had a proper adventure since I helped the mermaids take back their cove." She turned away, scanning the black forest with her golden wolf eyes that reflected the moonlight. "I'll start sniffing out his trail tonight and see if I can trace it to his castle grounds before morning. Then tomorrow night, when he comes looking for you again, I'll surprise him and get him to come to the lake right as the moon rises."

She turned and fully folded herself to put her hands on the forest floor, but then paused. Turning to Odette while crouching on her human haunches, she smirked, "Just don't scream again please?" Then she was a wolf again, bounding into the expansive forest.

Odette did not scream, but gasped loudly and inched closer to Snow as if for protection. "You have interesting friends Princess Snow White!"

Snow just shrugged. "You have no idea."

…

The following evening, Snow White crouched on a hammock on the far end of Swan Lake. Her bow and arrows were slung across her back, her knife was at her side, and she was ready for anything. She knew that there was no guarantee Rayne would be able to get Prince Derek to follow her, or even that she would find him, but she was prepared to see this mission through. If only to give herself a sense of accomplishment since she could not protect her own kingdom right now at the risk of exposing herself to Regina again.

Odette crouched next to her as well, her white swan form sticking out like a sore thumb in the dim Enchanted Forest. Her light honks sounded worried.

Snow hesitated before reaching out to stroke the regal feathered head. "It will be okay Odette."

The swan's head turned this way and that, scanning the dark forest. Snow was not sure how much she could understand as a swan but assumed it was appropriate to speak to her as if she could understand all of it. This was, after all, a little different than talking to her blue birds. "You have to have hope Odette. You can't just dwell on how much has gone wrong or will go wrong," her eyes took on a faraway look, "Ever since my stepmother almost caught me when she disguised herself I have been wondering what will happen to my kingdom for over two years now. At first, I just accepted the fact that I was never going to be ruler again and that I would have to live as an outlaw for the rest of my life but lately…I have had a feeling that I will not be satisfied with that." She sighed and adjusted her position. "I know it sounds crazy but I want to help my people, I want to take back my kingdom, but I'm not sure how? I mean, I have no magic and Regina has her powers, she has all of her knight's hunting me down, and I don't want any one hurt on my account."

The swan who was a princess turned its head and honked quietly again, as if answering. Of course, Snow did not have the foggiest idea what it said. She smiled and stroked the feathery head again, feeling her spirits lighten a bit and allowed her mind to drift back to the present mission. _At least I am helping_ this _princess get her happy ending. Maybe that will be enough for now._

The sound of rustling foliage startled her from her reflections and she glanced across the lake. She recognized the signs of pursuers. It originated from an animal trail, a far less travelled path that what Snow had taken when arriving at Swan Lake. She crouched down further; making herself more invisible, then gently pushed the swan down to do the same. Out of the rustling bushes a small white wolf jumped. Snow allowed herself a small sharp intake of breath in relief at seeing Rayne.

The swan quickly rose to its feet and attempted to waddle towards the lake. Snow held fast. "Not yet," she cooed. The wolf twitched its nose back and forth, studying the shoreline of the lake intently. It finally caught sight of Snow and the swan on the other side and nodded in approval. Then, without further pause, it spun on its heels and scampered down another path, racing away from the lake edge and out of sight.

No sooner had the animal disappeared than Snow heard another rustling of branches. In only a moment, a familiar sturdy figure leaped out of the brush and Snow risked lifting her head a little to get a closer look. He certainly had the bearings of a prince, with a fine tunic of brown leather, well-maintained boots, a gilded quiver of arrows, and a strong hunting bow in his hands. He quickly cast his eyes this way and that as if taking in the sight of the lake was surprising to him.

"It's time Odette," Snow whispered to the bird. "Look!" She gestured to the rising crescent moon.

For some reason, the bird hesitated. Snow could hear it breathing harder now, as if terrified beyond measure. Snow glanced again at the figure across the lake. He _did_ have a 70-lb bow ready to shoot at anything he deemed a threat.

"Odette, you _have_ to do this," Snow urged, "If you don't do it now, you may have lost your chance for life."

The swan quieted its worried honks, then lifted its regal head and gave the briefest semblance of a nod as if saying _Alright, I'll do it!_ Finally, her glorious white wings lifted and she drifted downward towards the lake, landing quietly on the small shade of moonlight. Immediately, the pursuer on the other side of the lake lifted his head and caught sight of the bird. He had a look of complete confusion and hesitated for a few precious seconds.

Snow quickly looked heavenly. "Alright come on, come on!" she whispered urgently to the moon. But her prayers were not answered; the moonlight was fading from sight by a mass of dark clouds covering its face. Snow looked in horror at the helpless bird on the lake trying to swim into the receding moonlight and then the sight of the prince knocking an arrow and aiming it right at Odette!

Snow's keen bandit ears picked up what was said from the prince, even way across the lake. "I got you now."

Without thinking, Snow knocked an arrow of her own, intent on sending it flying across the lake to distract the prince when a golden light distracted _her_. Prince Derek lowered his own bow as he took in the glorious sight. After a few seconds of the magic that Snow had seen twice before, Odette was standing in front of him, her arms outstretched. Upon dropping his bow, the two lovers raced towards each other in the lake. Odette was lifted off the ground and swung in a circle by her ecstatic true love before the two shared a passionate kiss.

Across the lake, Snow White could not stop smiling. It was a truly magical moment.

…

"Snow!"

Snow jerked awake. She had fallen asleep leaning against a stump whilst the two lovers were discussing things across the lake; it was after all, the wee hours of the morning and she had been up all day long. Odette was in front of her, shaking her shoulder hurriedly.

"I'm up, I'm up," she quickly said while touching her knife in her belt in case there was danger. "What is happening?"

"Derek has gone. I sent him away in case Rothbart was spying on us." Odette glanced up at the sky as she talked. The moon was starting to disappear behind the mountains. "I don't have a lot of time, so listen carefully."

Snow stood up, wide awake now. "I'm listening."

"The only way to break this curse is if I receive a vow of everlasting love from the one who cares for me. It has to be declared in front of an assembly of witnesses and with certainty," Odette explained hurriedly, "Derek has told me that his mother is hosting a ball tomorrow night where she will be parading a whole parcel of princesses in front of him in the hope that he finds a suitable one to marry—" she scowled, "—and forget about me."

Snow nodded, "So what do you propose?"

Odette took a deep breath. "I am going to leave the lake after I transform tomorrow, sneak into the castle, and then meet Derek at the ball. When we are together, and before the whole kingdom he can declare his love for me and then—" she examined her human hands with relish—" this curse will be broken."

"That's _wonderful_ Odette!" Snow exclaimed.

Odette smiled and held out her hand. A heart-shaped necklace etched with the beautiful figure of a swan was in her palm. "He gave this back to me, I thought it was gone forever. It was something I wore all throughout my childhood." She slipped it around her neck, gently touching it while she adjusted it.

Snow admired the necklace but then her mind was racing with a plan. "I can help get you to the castle faster if I steal, er…borrow some dresses, and then we can both go in through the…"

"No Snow!"

Snow did a double-take. "What?"

"No, I cannot risk your life like that," Odette took Snow's hands into her own. "You have already done so much and I know the Evil Queen is after you. If you expose yourself at the ball, you risk your life!"

Snow withdrew her hands and shook her head sharply. "No!" The words just stumbled out. "No I have to see this through Odette. I have to see good win."

Odette opened her mouth to protest again but Snow cut her off, "I know you must understand this somehow as a fellow princess; I _have_ to help you. Your showing up at this lake while I was here, getting to talk to your true love, it all has to be happening for a reason. And I am not going to let you do this alone."

The Swan Princess eyed the steely glint in Snow White's forest-green eyes and finally relented. "Alright, but at the first sign of trouble you have to promise to leave!"

But Snow was smiling. "There will not be any trouble Odette I guarantee it. I promise you will get your happy ending!"

…


	3. Searching for the Swan

**Chapter 3- Searching for the Swan**

 _Present Day: Storybrooke_

…

The headlights of the sheriff's car illuminated the misty surface of the city lake, throwing eerie vaporous figures into the air. It was late at night and the moon had risen to illuminate the steaming waters whilst crickets and frogs resounded in a cacophony of background noises

"Mom, she might not show up tonight."

Emma Swan and Snow White were stationed on the side of the lake where Emma had last seen the swan with the necklace. Snow was determined to see the bird for herself, to confirm or deny that it was her long-lost friend, Princess Odette of Schwanense. Emma still had a hard time wrapping her head around that one. What fairytale characters did _not_ exist and why did her mother seem to know all of them? Swan Lake, amazing. It was a story Emma knew of course (although she did not recall how it ended) and was not too sure on the details _. A quick scan of Henry's book will probably help to see if there were any useful clues_ she thought. _Maybe even how to break the curse_.

The moment after Snow had explained her own version of the fairytale of Swan Lake she had insisted on accompanying Emma to the lake that very night, despite it being a school night and her young son's wails of protest. David would be babysitting tonight and Hook was stationed at the wharf, seeing if the bird would flee to the ocean.

Back at the lake shore, Snow shook her head at Emma's comment. "No. Odette would not miss the opportunity to become human tonight. She _has_ to be here." There was a note of desperation in her voice.

Emma shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat of the sheriff's car. "We don't even know if she _can_ turn human here Mom. Magic does not always work the way it should in this world and it's possible that she is just a swan in this world."

"Well then we will find her and figure out a way to turn her human!"

Emma dropped the subject that was clearly touchy for her mother. It was rare that she saw her mom lose control like this. A few awkward moments of silence passed as mother and daughter deliberately did not speak to one another. Emma knew that if this was her father she would not hesitate to keep pushing and find out what was wrong, but her mother was different. She had more… awe and amazement she supposed of her mother and seeing her lose her composure like this, well it was strange.

She hesitated, but curiosity got the better of her, "Mom what's wrong? You act as if her still being a swan is your fault but you tried your hardest to help her back in the Enchanted Forest."

Snow sighed. "It's hard to explain Emma, but she came to me at a time when I really needed something to believe in, to stand and fight for. I felt so inadequate as a princess and saving her was that thing that I could fight for other than running and hiding all of the time. It was…important to me that I save her." She heaved another sigh. "I know that's hard to understand."

 _Actually, I can understand that more than you know_ Emma mused to herself _._

Snow smiled lightly at her daughter but then seemed to catch herself. "And now she is missing and still a swan. Which means that something happened that night at the ball and I failed. I failed as a princess and I failed as a friend." Snow hung her head for a moment. "I promised her Emma, I _promised_. I failed her once, and I will _not_ do it again."

Emma nodded in understanding and said firmly," We won't Mom. I believe in you." She reached over and grasped her mom's left hand, giving it a small squeeze. Snow returned the gesture with a grateful smile.

"You know, I think I can understand why you felt that way about helping her," Emma said gently.

"Really?" Snow cocked her head a bit. "How so?"

"I've been…feeling odd lately," Emma started, a little uncertain of how to phrase it. "I mean I have not had a chance to be the Savior in a long time and, well—" she squirmed, a little uncomfortable at this admittance, "—I kind of miss helping others." There, she had finally said it out loud. Not to her father nor to her husband but to her own mother.

Snow tilted her head quizzically. "Emma you help people every day. You're the town sheriff and you're a very good one at that."

"Well yeah…but taking reports after a fender bender isn't exactly the same thing as savioring Mom. I miss making a difference," Emma smiled sadly. "There is nothing like realizing you've changed someone's life for the better, you know?"

Snow's eyes softened and then she smiled. Of all things for her baby girl to be missing about being the Savior, that was it? Emma was even more her daughter than Charming probably knew.

"I do Emma." She gave a slight nod and Emma returned it with one of understanding. "I really do." Her eyes grew distant. "I remember when I first came to realize that being a princess was a lot more than just wearing a tiara and getting to go to balls; it's a real job. Helping others, being there for my kingdom…that is what I miss about being a princess."

Emma glanced over curiously. "You do?"

Snow nodded. "I do."

There was a moment of understanding between mother and daughter before they both turned their full attention to the lake and resumed their stakeout.

…

If there was one benefit about this wretched world that the evil sorcerer Rothbart could tolerate, it was the ease at which people felt the need to blame others for their problems. This eventually led to accusations (however ridiculous), which led to pathetic people hiring lawyers, which lead to suing, which led to money is his purse and a very large mansion to call home. Granted, he could have simply created such a place with his illusionary magic but maintaining such a grand state took quite a lot of effort. Better to milk the pitiful inhabitants of this tiny hamlet for all their worth and keep the easy money coming.

Today had been particularly successful. He had managed to convince a pathetic old lady (not the crossbow-wielding owner of Granny's, she terrified him!) that it was entirely due to the drugstore owner's incessant sneezing that she had dropped her bag of purchases and ruined her favorite handbag in the messy carnage. Now that dwarf was going to be sued for every diamond that was his cut in the dwarf's diamond mine.

 _Oh how I would love to get my hands on some real_ _dwarf-mined diamonds,_ he gloated while pouring himself a healthy splash of some expensive scotch to celebrate, _Might even be able to do some real damage around here; teach that cheeky shepherd who thinks he is a prince a lesson._

He settled himself into his comfortable leather chair, ready to kick of his polished leather shoes and relish in his victories. That was when his respite was interrupted by a small but strong hand gripping his pathetic tuft of hair and yanking his head dangerously far back. The sharp point of a large knife settled onto the left side of his chest, its steel gleamed.

"I'm going to cut out your heart like you cut out mine!" Odette snarled. The full-sized butcher knife she had pulled out of the kitchen block held in her left hand did not waver once.

The evil sorcerer merely smirked. "Well Princess, I am impressed. In our time apart you have gone and discovered courage in this new realm."

"Would you like to borrow some?" Odette brought the knife up to the sorcerer's throat.

It did not phase the black-hearted villain one bit, "No thanks, trying to cut back." Then he frowned. "Although I have to say I am a bit surprised you managed to get this close. The security systems of this world are supposed to be very effective."

"Well a bird's-eye view gives a woman a different perspectives, different strategies."

Rothbart let out an evil chuckle. "Oh yes, the curse. So tell me…does absence make the heart grow fonder?'

Odette clenched her teeth and let out an angry, animal-like snarl. The knife flashed as she brandished it closer. "Ah ah ah, Princess!" Rothbart held up a finger. "Killing me will only insure that your curse lasts forever."

"Don't you think I know that you monster? Don't you think I would have figured it out after all of these years?" Tears of rage left moist lines down the dirty cheeks of the Swan Princess. "I will never give you what you want, no matter how long this curse lasts, but I will spare you further pain if you tell me this: WHERE IS HE?"

"Sorry dear, you'll have to be more specific."

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO I MEAN!" Odette yelled with the pain of a broken heart and wedged the knife under Rothbart's neck further. "WHERE IS HE?"

"Such devotion you have, too bad he was not able to reciprocate it that night so long ago?"

Odette could not stop the tears that poured down her cheeks at the mention of that horrific night and her hands began to shake. The memory of when her life had all but ended and her heart had broken, it was as fresh as if it had happened yesterday rather than over 30 years ago; her breathing became more erratic and her heart started to pound.

Rothbart kept right on smirking at the sight of the suffering princess. He truly was enjoying this. "If you really must know, the moment your pathetic prince found out he had failed you and promised his love to another he ran to your lake, threw himself in, and drowned."

"You're _lying_! He would never do that."

"Am I? Why has he not searched for you all these years in Storybrooke after the first Dark Curse was broken? Why have you not heard his name mentioned? Why has he not tried to break your curse again?" Rothbart turned his head slightly and sneered back at her. "He is gone forever you pathetic little princess and now you have no one in this realm. No one."

Odette continued to spill tears of rage and sorrow while clutching the knife to Rothbart's throat. This evil man had stolen her life, cursed her into a state of half-existence, and caused the death of the one man she had ever truly loved. Every thread of her enraged mind was screaming at her, _Do it! Kill him! Cut his throat! He deserves it!_ She would be fine living the rest of her life as a bird if she could just kill this monster. But something held her back.

At least for one second too late. A long iron poker came descending onto the exposed back of Odette's head. The world went white before her eyes and she crumpled to the ground.

Rothbart stood out of his chair, wiped away a trickle of blood, and healed himself with a wave of his hand. "Well done my daughter."

Odile's sagged lip smirked up at her father as she brandished the fire poker proudly. "You looked like you needed help Papa." She used her polished pointed-toed boot to dig into Odette's ribs and shove her onto her back, ultimately disappointed to see that the princess was still breathing. A wrath-like expression came to the horrid face of Rothbart's partner in crime as she reached down and yanked at the golden swan necklace from around Odette's neck, breaking the chain with a small snap. She dangled the article mockingly just over the face of her victim before pocketing the precious item and turning to her father. "We can finish the job here and dump her body in the woods where no one would ever find her."

"Now that seems a bit hasty my child. After all, it's not as if anyone knows she is here and can identify…"

"Police! Freeze!"

Odile raised the poker and whipped around to the sight of Sheriff Emma Swan holding her Glock level and aiming it right at the witch's head. "Lower your weapon Ms. Bart!"

Odile reluctantly lowered the iron poker as Emma did likewise with her Glock.

"To what do we owe this honor… _sheriff_?" Rothbart could not help the sneer at that last word. The idea that this realm allowed women to hold such offices of power irked him to no end. Even his own daughter was merely a means to an end and to be considered nothing more. "I do not recall calling law enforcement for assistance."

Emma gestured to one of the windows, where a red light was blinking from the white consul box above the frame. "Your silent alarm went off and I came as soon as I could."

"Oh," was all Rothbart said to that. _Damn it, I should have gotten rid of that stupid device years ago!_ "Yes we have had a minor…incident. This crazy woman broke into our home and tried to kill me but as you can see sheriff, we have handled the situation ourselves quite well."

It was then that Emma took in the sight of the unconscious woman crumpled on the floor.

Emma quickly holstered her Glock and knelt next to Odette. "I'm calling an ambulance." She whipped out her smart phone and hit speed dial.

"That is really not necessary Sheriff Swan," Odile leaned the poker back against the fireplace. "I am sure she will be just fine." Her voice was cold, monotone. "She tried to kill my father after all."

Emma glared up at the woman who had just spoken. "Despite any alleged crimes, this woman is hurt and she needs help Ms. Bart." The voice of the ambulance crew on her phone distracted her for a second, but not before she noticed a look of pure hatred as the other woman gazed down at the unconscious intruder. What was _that_ about?

After giving address details to the dispatcher and hanging up, Emma once again focused on the woman on the floor. She was breathing steadily and her pulse seemed alright, but she looked desperately thin and worn, as if she had not had proper food or sleep in years. Perhaps she was homeless? The tattered loose clothing and her state of uncleanliness certainly suggested that.

"Hang in there," Emma murmured softly, taking the victim's hand in her own. "Help is on the way."

Again, Ms. Bart seemed intent on down grading the situation. "The second you have her in that hospital you should lock her up in the psych ward," she spat out, "she came in here screaming like a banshee, threatened to cut my father's throat, and then—"

"Ms. Bart I will take your and your father's statements as soon as this woman is in route to the hospital," Emma interrupted, trying to control her tone.

Odile was mortified at the audacity of this pathetic excuse of a sheriff. To have a peasant talk to her in such a manner was most disconcerting! She opened her mouth to let out a string of complaints and demands, when her father's heavy hand descended onto her shoulder. "That is fine with us sheriff, we will leave you to your work then." He gave a slight bow and took a step back, taking his daughter with him.

As they retreated, Emma narrowed her gaze onto the lawyer's retreating dark form, scrutinizing every angle. Why was her superpower on fire? What were those two lying about?

But she would have to figure that out later, right now her focus was on this injured woman.

..

Odette slowly opened eyelids that were heavy with fatigue and pain. The room was barely lit but once her pupils dilated and she was finally able to focus, there honestly was not much to see. A dark, unadorned cell with a barred window, a small cot which she was lying on, and that was pretty much it. She lifted herself to her elbow, blinking while taking it all in. Her right arm automatically went to the back of her head, where she felt a large bump.

"Feeling better?"

Odette bolted upright, grasping the edge of her cot in fear and peered out of her cell. The woman who had spoken was standing just outside of the barred door, leaning against a desk and looking intently at her.

She settled down and managed a small groan. "I think so," she said softly as she unfolded the blanket from over her and scooted to the edge of her cot so that her feet dangled.

Emma smiled then reached behind her for something Odette could not see. There was a rustling of paper and then the sheriff was holding out a sack and water bottle through the bars of the cell. "Here," she said gently, "It's just a take-out from Granny's but you look like it will do you some good."

Odette hesitated, but then approached the bars slowly. The sack was giving off a tantalizing aroma. She accepted the offerings with a murmured, "Thank you", and then settled back onto her cot. The bag revealed a hearty roast, some greens, and buttered bread. Ravaged, she tore into the bread with her front teeth.

"Wow, you really wanted that," Emma said lightly, getting her first real glimpse of the prisoner. Despite the dirty face and old tattered clothing, she really was a very beautiful woman. Tall, regal cheek bones, sharp eyes, and a very good posture. She was on the thinner side but had stood straight and proud when taking the food, not hunched over with a wild-look like Emma expected. She certainly did not _look_ like a crazy woman capable of murder.

Emma leaned back against the desk again, folding her arms. "So you might be in a spot of trouble."

Odette continued to chew, not answering. There was an awkward beat before Emma tried again. "Mr. Bart is talking of pressing attempted murder charges on you, as well as threatening, breaking into his house, and thievery." She shook her head and tried to sound sympathizing. "Honestly, my instincts are telling me you are not capable of such things so are you going to tell me your side of the story?"

Odette shook her head as well, polishing off the last of her meal by draining the water bottle of its content. "Why? You would not believe me."

"Oh yeah? Listen I have seen some pretty strange things in this town and if you're trying to tell me you can top that, by all means—"

"How long must I be confined here?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "S'cuse me?"

Odette neatly laid the remains of her meal aside then stood, tilted her chin up, and looked straight into Emma's eyes. "How long must I remain in here?"

Emma frowned. "You are facing some pretty serious charges. I managed to convince Dr. Whale to release you into my custody so that the hospital would not be tempted to put you into the psych ward and throw away the key. I am required to keep you under observation for at least 48 hours and then after that—" Emma sighed and shrugged "—I'm afraid we will have to wait and see. At the very least you should stay here tonight and maybe this Bart fellow will calm down tomorrow and drop a few of the lesser charges."

 _Stay here tonight?_ The swan princess came forward to grip the cell bars tightly and her mouth went dry. _Then she will see me transform!_ She opened her mouth, about to protest very loudly, but then caught herself and asked as calmly as she could, "Please, is there any way I can be released now?"

"Right now?" Emma spluttered, amazed at the audacity of the question. "You've got quite a knock on the head and you need to rest. You'll be safe behind these bars tonight, trust me. "

Odette was horrified at the thought. She tightened her grip on the bars. "Please. You have to let me go," she whispered as a salty tear slid over her right cheek.

Emma was startled by the sudden outpouring of emotions from this woman and truly hated what she had to say. "I'm sorry I can't," she explained gently. Her heart went out to the strange woman for some reason. "You attacked a prominent member of the community and he is not taking it lightly. You'll be lucky if I can talk him out of charging you with attempted murder and downgrade it to aggravated assault."

Odette loosened her grip, slid her hands down the bars, and narrowed her eyes at Emma. "Whatever that evil man told you is a _lie_."

"So why don't you tell me the truth?"

Odette was silent to that. Emma waited, but when it became clear nothing further was being offered she shrugged and turned away. As she did, her left hip bumped against her dad's messy desk, jarring it slightly. Emma cursed as folders and a few scraps of paper scattered onto the ground.

One of them managed to slide all the way to the holding cell. Before Emma could intervene, Odette had reached down through the bars and scooped up the hasty sketch of the heart-shaped swan necklace Emma had done just yesterday.

For some reason, the woman's right hand went to her throat and flattened as if searching for something. But there did not seem to be anything there that Emma could see beneath the loose collar of the shirt she was wearing. Odette's face blanched before composing herself and holding out the paper to the sheriff through the bars. But Emma had seen her expression. She opened her mouth and was about to really start asking questions when the other woman beat her to it.

"That necklace," Odette whispered. "Where did you get that?"

"What?"

Odette gestured to the top of Emma's red leather jacket where her swan pendant glittered in the fluorescent lighting of the station.

Emma fingered the charm lovingly. "An old friend gave it to me, years ago."

"It's very beautiful. It must mean a lot to you."

Emma looked quizzically at the other woman. Why in the world did she feel the need to ask her about her swan necklace? "Yes it does." Then she held up the drawing that she had made. "What about this one? Looks pretty similar huh? Do you know anything about it?"

Odette's expression saddened incredibly, and then she turned away, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Just _tell_ me," Emma said to her. "What can I do to help you?"

Odette plopped wearily down onto her cot as she turned her head back towards Emma. "You can't help me. No one can."

Emma sighed and stared into Odette's gaze. The woman was young but her eyes were aged and exhausted as only years of grief and toil could do. "How do you know that unless you let me try?" she asked, her voice coming out as gently as she could. Odette shook her head. "You seem to know about this necklace." She took a few cautious steps forward, holding the other princess's gaze as she walked closer to the cell. "I know what it's like to have doubt, to have caution and wanting to do things alone because you believe no one can help you." Odette looked away, more tears forming in her eyes. For a while, neither woman said anything and Emma took this as a bad sign. "Please," she practically begged. "Let me help you. Tell me how I can fix it."

Odette was nearly shaking with grief, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks. "You can't fix it. He is dead," she whispered at last.

" _Who_ is dead? What is going on?"

But the other woman was apparently finished talking. She had turned away and sat herself back on her cot, curling her legs underneath her chin and holding them with her arms as she silently wept.

Emma came right up to the bars. "I can help you, I promise."

Odette glanced up and really took in the sight of the other woman. She clearly wanted to help her, despite every reason not to. At this point she was a criminal in this realm and would likely remain in this cell forever. Should she trust her with her secret?

 _The last time I trusted someone with my secret it ended in disaster_ she thought. _I have to do this on my own this time. I refuse to drag anyone else into this._

She closed her eyes and dropped sideways into her cot, refusing to answer any of Emma's further questions long into the wee hours of the dawn.

Emma finally gave up when she felt she was going to fall asleep on her own feet. She glanced at the wall clock in her office. 5:00 am and she had not slept all night. Time to head home. Her Dad was due for the late morning shift so maybe he would have better luck?

She paused before leaving the station and switching off the lights. The strange woman was still on her cot, sleeping or either resting Emma could not tell. All she knew is that she really wanted to help her, _had_ to help her.

…

"Emma, there you are!"

Emma wearily dropped her keys into the bowl by the front door of her house and shrugged off her red leather jacket. Her mother and Killian were seated at the kitchen table, clearly waiting for her to show up and give their reports. Both looked just as exhausted as she was with bags under their eyes and bleary pupils that did not seem to focus well.

"Hey Mom, hey Killian," she said groggily. She slid over to her husband and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before plopping down hard on the third chair next to him. Lord it felt good to sit down!

"Long night love?" he asked as he held out a steaming mug.

She accepted his offered coffee gratefully. "Oh yeah. I hope you guys had better luck than I did?"

But both parties shook their heads wearily. "I stayed on the wharf all night love. Saw nothing but a few seagulls and pelicans," replied Killian. "Your feathered friend did not show up."

Snow likewise shook her head. "A swan did not show up at the lake after you left Emma," she heaved a sigh," I …really thought I could find her."

Emma reached over and laid a hand on her mother's. "It's okay Mom, we'll find her." She sipped at her coffee and sighed. "On a side note I tried to help this woman earlier but…she is not cooperating, no matter how much trouble she really _is_ in." She took in more caffeine and started to feel much better. _Aaaaa! The true magic of this world is caffeine in all its forms!_ "She matches the description of the woman who set off the alarms at Mrs. Shoe's shelter so, for all intents and purposes, she could just be a crazy homeless lady ready to cause a lot of damage," Emma sighed, "but somehow I am not getting that vibe from her. It's like she's afraid and refuses to trust anyone, but she does not seem crazy just—"

"Lost?"

Emma turned to her mother. "Yeah exactly." A strange sense of understanding passed between mother and daughter.

"Emma, what did this woman look like?" Snow asked quietly.

Emma frowned as she tried to recall. "Umm, about my age. Blonde hair, grey eyes, kind of tall, and—"

"Did she have a scar right here?" Snow interrupted while she laid an index finger on her right forearm. "A thin line that looked like it came from being grazed by an arrow?"

Emma sucked in a gasp. "Yes, she did."

"That's her! That's Odette!" Snow jumped to her feet and dashed to the front door. "We have to go back," she opened the door and groaned as she took in the sight of the rising sun, "she might be changing already!"

Snow sprinted down the pavement to Emma's yellow bug, her daughter and Killian right on her heels.

Upon entering the sheriff's station, the three of them rushed down the entrance hall and quickly rounded the corner to where the holding cells were. Snow skidded to a halt and Emma nearly crashed into her.

The cell was empty. Not a trace of the swan princess.

Emma was shocked beyond belief. "No she was here when I left Mom. I swear!"

Snow shook her head, soothing her daughter's ranting. "No, it's okay. I believe you honey. We need to search the building; she might still be in here."

"Righto," Killian said as he took to back to the hall leading to the other side of the building. Snow took the stairs down to the basement.

Emma was still in shock and walked slowly up to the cell, as if expecting to see the princess underneath the cot or hiding beneath the pile of blankets. How could she have gotten out? There was no way of finding out, the security cameras had been disabled since Rumpelstiltskin had magically messed with them, and no one else was on duty last night except Emma.

Emma fingered the bars of the still-locked cell when a small white object drifting on the ground caught her eye. Kneeling, she scooped up a single white down feather that clearly came from the chest of a magnificent bird

Emma held it up, staring in disbelief. Could it be a swan's feather? Had the woman transformed in the cell then squeezed her way out? Was that even possible?

"Swan!"

Emma jumped, Killian's call had completely startled here. Not knowing why, she pocketed the feather and then sprinted in the direction she heard his voice.

Her mother beat her to the utility hall where the pirate was. "Did you find her?"

Killian glanced towards both women, his expression grave. "No. Unfortunately I think I found something else." He gestured with his hook upward and both women followed the direction of his indication.

The glass window leading from the utility hallway into the outside world had been smashed. Even the metal reinforcements were bent irregularly; whomever or whatever had wanted to get out and had clearly been desperate. The panes were completely decimated but that was not what really caught Emma's eye. It was the streaks of red blood on some of the glass shards still clinging to the rim of the panes. A few down feathers, similar to the one Emma now had in her jean pocket, drifted in and out of the window with the soft morning breeze.

Snow gasped and clasped a hand over her open mouth. "Oh my gods!"

Emma was likewise shocked but able to keep some resemblance of coherent thought. "She escaped, and she was clearly frightened out of her wits of something to do it like this." She touched her mother's shoulder, trying to convey a sense of calm. "We're going to find her Mom, I promise." She gave Snow a comforting squeeze on the shoulder and her mother's hand went over her own gratefully, nodding her head.

"Aye love. Perhaps sooner rather than later," Killian put it. He reached up and carefully pulled out a shard of glass, stained crimson with the swan's blood. "These kinds of injuries are likely to do the poor lass much damage."

…

 **Review please!**


	4. The Swan at the Ball

**Chapter 4- The Swan at the Ball**

 _Flashback: The Enchanted Forest_

…

The palace of the Queen Mother and Crown Prince of Chamberg loomed at the top of a shallow rise in its kingdom, all lit up for the grand ball with strings of lanterns and floral arrangements set along every walkway to guide the way in. Gilded carriages crowded up the cobblestone drive to the broad double staircases, each one curving downward for guests to climb up into the main hall. Royal couples made their way grandly up the stairs, arm in arm and laughing gaily.

While guests entered the castle, a solitary figure was watching from the shadows at the edge of the forest. It was Snow, and she shifted her dark green cloak to conceal herself better amongst the trees. She studied the exterior of the castle, trying to gauge the ease at which this mission could be completed.

Just then, Snow heard the insistent high-pitched chatter of ladies coming from behind her. She turned to see two women sitting in the backseat of an open carriage. They both had long blonde hair and were wearing beautiful ball gowns. The taller one was leaning over her driver, angrily snapping at the other guests in an effort to get the line of coaches in front of her to move faster.

"We are not spending the entire evening out here you idiots!" she declared. "Move yourselves!" Despite her loud complaints, the long line of carriages was not moving an inch.

With a frustrated growl, the two women pushed open the doors of the carriage and began to march up the driveway to the castle. When they drew closer to the forest edge, Snow stepped silently out of the shadows of the trees.

The shorter one gave a haughty laugh. "And what are you supposed to be?" said the surprised duchess, as she took in Snow's dirt-streaked face and woodland outfit.

Snow did not answer, just stepped right next to the woman to measure herself against the dress. She realized they were almost the same height and smiled slyly.

"What are you doing?" said the outraged duchess. "Guards!"

Snow delivered a couple of quick martial-arts blows to the back of both women's neck; they crumbled to the ground unconscious.

"Well that was…interesting," said Odette as she emerged from the forest as well. She helped Snow haul the two ladies into the trees for better concealment. Snow smiled at her friend then crouched down next to the woman and touched the fabric of the gown she was wearing. _That was easier than I thought,_ she thought smugly. _Now all we have to do is wait for our way in._

In addition to the carriages, small private boats were being commanded to carry the guests in couples through another entrance, more romantic and serene. The castle was surrounded by a series of small waterways that eventually led straight to a stone archway hailing the entrance to a grotto just underneath the main portion of the castle. The grotto eventually made its way to a series of steps leading to the main area of the castle and had been decorated with all kinds of flowers and willow branches to create just the right mood. This was merely another extravagant; it was only a short walk through the gardens to get to the entrance of the palace. Despite that, many couples were piling into the gondolas for a romantic ride and magical experience.

But these waterways served another purpose to a wolf that had a special relationship with mermaids…

A furry head broke the surface in the waterways surrounding the castle grounds, just underneath a wooden bridge that served as a cover. A few footsteps resounded right above the wolf's head and Rayne let out a small whine of discomfort at the closeness of the humans.

A small wet hand clamped down on her muzzle. " _Shhhhhh!_ " whispered the woman next to her, placing a finger to her lips. She inclined her head and listened intently; the drifting conversations of the human couples did not cease. They had not been spotted. Waverly, also known as the Golden Mermaid from the fairytale story _The Golden Mermaid_ let out a breath in relief, causing the gills along the side of her neck to flap open. Then she spoke in mer-tongue, " _Come on you! We have a job to do_."

Rayne nodded her furry head and placed it underwater. She felt the mermaid gently take a hold of her and guide her further downward. As they had done many times before, Rayne settled herself comfortably on the back of her mermaid friend, her paws dangling over the shoulders of the human half and her hind legs wrapped around the fish half. It was easier for the mermaid to swim with a wolf rather than a human on her back as clothing tended to cause too much friction.

The two party crashers swam closer to the gateway that separated the outside walls from the castle interior grounds. Rayne nipped at Wave's ear, signaling that she needed a breath.

Both broke the surface water again, this time next to a great iron sluice gate, the entrance to the grotto for the alternative entrance to the castle and the ball. The gate was being guarded by a soldier with a tall pike in hand and would only open at the signal of the gondola's steersman, clearly a design to make sure no intruders swam into the palace.

Which was precisely what the two were going to do. They saw their chance and submerged again.

As a small gondola approached, the driver of the boat signaled to the castle guards to open the gates and allow the guests in. The gates glided open to welcome them, then shut themselves smoothly behind. The boat was guided gently to the shoreline, where a pair of stone steps led up out of the water and torches let the spiraled staircase going upwards into the castle. As the Prince and Princess of Glawerhaven stepped lightly out of the boat, no one noticed an underwater figure following the boat into the interior of the castle.

Once the guests and their palace guard escort had departed and the boatman had left his craft for a break, the mermaid and the wolf broke the surface of the water next to the boat. Rayne placed her front paws on the stone steps leading out of the water then climbed up with a slight push from Wave. She shook herself as only a wolf could, spraying droplets everywhere.

Waverly bobbed in the dark water next to the stone shelf where Rayne perched. " _I will take you back out when the next boat will be here and the gates will open once again."_ Rayne nodded silently, crouching and dripping wet on the cold palace stones. The waterway only led into the castle and the only way out was to take the same entrance, at least for the two of them.

" _Good luck old friend!"_

The wolf leaned forward and licked the wet cheeks of the mermaid in a sloppy wolf kiss. Wave giggled quietly at the touch.

The wolf stole her way up the torch-lit stone steps into another section of the palace. Only a few guards were on duty, but none of them even heard her soft paws on the carpeted castle stones. She crept on further into the castle, climbing yet another set of stairs before finding her goal: the side door that led to the rose gardens of the palace.

She reared up on her hind legs and used her forepaws to unlatch the door.

Princess Snow White of the kingdom of King Leopold and Princess Odette of the Kingdom of Schwanense both stepped over the threshold, into the light of the castle.

"Well that went better than I thought," Snow said lightly. She brushed off some dust from her purloined ball gown, a beautiful blue suave dress with a few flowers and birds decorated into it. Given her current situation it was appropriate to have a forest-themed gown.

Odette likewise brushed away at her own gown, the stone passageway they had entered in had been dusty from lack of use. She was wearing a nice white full-length gown with teal trimmings that Snow had managed to "borrow" from the taller duchess from earlier.

Both ladies stepped into the light hallway, their pointed shoes lightly tapping on the stone floors. The wolf gave an approving nod before disappearing into another darkened hallway.

Snow was about to call after her when she thought better. Neither one of them had ball invitations and it was best to look as unassuming as possible; having a wolf tag alongside probably was not the way to do that. Rayne no doubt wanted to explore the castle and would be careful while doing it.

As the two princesses made their way towards the heavily lit area of the palace, inexplicably Odette became more and more nervous. _It will be alright_ , she told herself firmly. _Derek knows you are coming, all you have to do is find him then he will do the rest._ She shook herself lightly, trying to find some composure, or at least exhibit the illusion of composure, and then stepped firmly into the next room.

The two of them traversed into the Great Hall, with a high ceiling at least 100 feet up and every inch of the walls covered in exquisite tapestries or stained glass windows. A full orchestra was set up in a gilded balcony, providing background music to the dancers on the floor. A glittering chandelier hung with a vast array of candles lit the ballroom floor, which was packed with crowds of people from kingdoms near and far. Tall, handsome men in golden-braided uniforms, elegant ladies in exquisite full-length gowns, and all manner in between.

Odette could not help but notice: most of the guests were women…specifically princesses. Odette flinched and whispered to Snow, "Wow. Derek's mother is really intent on him finding another princess to marry and forget all about me."

Snow smiled. "Don't worry about it! The moment he confesses his love for you they will all disappear out of here."

Odette nodded, trying to be brave for her friend. The two of them worked their way slowly to the next room, just as big and grand as the first, and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. Their "borrowed" ball gowns did not mark them as anything unusual; the dresses were certainly passable but they were not very outstanding as to excite interest. Both women were by no means vivacious enough to attract attention; although a few faces did glance at Snow's unusually tanned face and how tall Odette was and gave some puzzled expressions.

Snow noticed a few stares and steered Odette towards a long table set with huge arrangements of white roses and punch-bowls. "Do you see him yet?" she whispered as she took a crystal cup.

Odette craned her neck upward. "No," she admitted. "We did not really say when we would meet; I was in a rush to make him leave the lake before we were spotted." She fingered her golden swan necklace nervously.

Snow nodded and sipped some punch to ease her nerves. With her cup tilted upward, her eyes caught sight of something behind Odette. Her eyes widened in surprise and she nearly choked on her drink.

"Damn it, what is _she_ doing here?" Snow gasped out.

Odette turned to see a regal-looking woman in a black shiny dress slither through the front doors. She was surrounded by a slew of black knights; all wearing the same horse-hair style on their gleaming pointed helmets as a symbol of their mistress. With one wave of her hand, the front doors shut themselves behind the intimidating woman on their own accord. Odette was shocked to see such an open display of magic.

The queen mother approached. "Why Regina! So nice to see you again." Her voice was high with nervousness. If she had not invited the other queen to this occasion her head would have vanished to another realm, undoubtedly.

The Evil Queen merely smirked, "And the same to you Uberta." She inclined her head in the briefest semblance of a bow to pass off a polite response. "Such a _lovely_ party you are hosting here." She passed her gaze around the host of assembled royalties with brief acknowledgements and then sauntered on, an expression of absolute boredom on her face.

Odette immediately reacted. "Snow, you have to leave," she whispered.

Snow nodded and the two of them stole as quietly and inconspicuously as possible behind the huge columns outlining the ballroom to the outer hallway, finding an unlatched door which lead to a smaller study that was mercifully empty. As soon as they were both safely inside Odette shut the door behind them and latched it.

 _That won't stop Regina_ , Snow thought, _she has magic!_ She paced the room as her mind raced of the possible escape routes. Should she climb out the windows? No, the terrace was too far off the ground, she would need a rope. Should she wander deeper into the castle and hope there was an exit? She might get caught by one of the house guards and thrown into the dungeon. Should she try and make her way back to the side or front entrance? No, that would require going through the Great Hall where Regina and her knights currently occupied. Well that settles it. She could not go out, she could not go further in, she could not go back, the only other place to go was…down?

"The boats!"

Odette turned her head from listening at the door, certain she had misheard. "What?"

Snow looked up at her. "Remember the Golden Mermaid we met earlier? Rayne said that she would catch a ride with her to get in through the waterways; maybe it's possible I can take a boat to get out."

Odette came over. "Yes! That could work." She racked her brains, trying to remember the route to the waterways in the castle she had not been in since her childhood. "You'll need to go down the last hallway, all the way down, until you find the stone steps leading to the grotto."

But then Snow sobered up. "Odette I do not like the idea of leaving you here all alone."

Odette smiled and shook her head lightly. "I'll be alright Snow. No one in this castle wants my death whereas you have a very angry, very _powerful_ evil queen who is after you just inside the Great Hall."

"What if something goes wrong? What if you need help finding Derek?"

Odette took Snow's hands in hers. "It will be fine. I will find Derek and then end this curse once and for all," she gave Snow's hands a light squeeze, "Before you leave I want to thank you. I could never have come this far without your help. You have done so much for me. Thank you Snow White." She pulled the other princess into a serene hug. The two embraced for as long as they dared.

Then Odette pulled away and turned once more to the door. She opened it a crack, then scanned the hallway. Coast was clear. For now.

"Now's your chance Snow. Go!"

Bandit Snow White slipped halfway through the door before turning and grasping Odette's hand, giving it one more reassuring squeeze. "Good luck, Swan Princess!" Then she was gone.

 _Swan Princess_ , thought Odette. _I rather like that._

After the sound of Snow's footsteps had faded, Odette slowly counted to fifty and then stepped into the hallway herself. Straightening herself she made her way slowly back to the Great Hall, scanning the faces as they came into view to find that one particular face that she was looking for…

 _Derek!_ There he was! Standing in the midst of a gaggle of giggling princesses, all swirling and rustling about him as if putting on a fashion show. He was dressed as handsomely as ever, with his long blue velvet cape and golden buckles, but all Odette could focus on was his face. His strong, square jaws and his bright brown eyes. The face of her one true love. It was he that would save her, he that would declare his love for her before the entire assembly and finally end this curse.

She felt her heart sour and take wings. It was time to go to him. Her feet lifted lightly to join the feeling of euphoria and she only need to take one more step to make it into the Hall where he could see her…

And that was when a heavy hand caught her right shoulder, pulling her back.

"I don't think so princess," came an eely voice from behind her back.

…

Snow made her way down deeper into the castle, turning and scanning each hallway and desperately looking for the way down to the grotto and the boat rides. She passed many laughing ball attendees but paid as little attention to them as they did to her. Finally, she felt she was on track when the torch-lit hallways began to smell slightly damp and angled further downward.

She went down a spiral stone staircase, rounded a corner quietly, and saw the arched waterway up ahead. There was a small wooden boat bobbing in the dark cold waters and, unfortunately, a steersman with a guard standing next to the boat.

 _Really?!_ she thought angrily. She had intended to steal one of the boats and take herself out but it looked like that would not be the case after all. _I'll have to bluff my way out of this one._

She tilted her chin up, separated her teeth while keeping her lips firmly set, and threw her shoulders back while descending the remaining stairs, looking every bit the polished princess she used to be.

At the sound of her footsteps, both men glanced at her and straightened up. By the looks of their expression, they saw exactly what Snow had hoped they would, a royal guest about to depart.

"Good evening Your Highness," the steersman said as he took of his hat and gave a sweeping bow. "Departing the event so soon?"

"I am afraid so," Snow said in her best princess voice. "Urgent business has called me away."

The guard dressed in the royal crest of Chamberg frowned. "If it is urgent surely Your Highness would prefer to take the walkway instead? It is a much faster route to the carriages."

Snow thought fast. She could not very well say that she could not get to the walkway because the Evil Queen was in the Great Hall. "I know, but I did not get a chance to ride one of these on the way in and I _so_ want to tell my husband what he missed out on when I get home!"

The steersman chuckled at that. "Well that is certainly understandable. In you come, my lady."

He held out a hand but Snow's finger tips barely graced it as she stepped into the boat, so well was her sense of balance and strength. The steersman waited until she was settled and then started to guide the boat slowly to the closed gates. The guard stepped forward to release the lever that would permit the iron sluice to swing open and Snow could escape.

But something caught his eye which made him pause…

"What in the name of the gods is that!"

Snow and the steersman quickly looked over the side of the small gondola. Although the vault was only dimly lit by a few sputtering torches, Snow easily saw a shimmer of golden scales swirling in the dark waters before descending into the depths and disappearing.

The guard stepped away from the lever, clearly not intending to open the gate and let the creature out. The castle waterway had only one way in and one way out. He lowered his spear to the water as he shouted, "There is a water monster in here!"

To Snow's horror the steersman picked up his oars and started smacking the water around the boat, driving his strikes further into the castle walls and the shallower water it held. The thing underwater tried to switched directions and swim to the opposite of the end of the waterway, but the guardsman had grabbed a long pike with a loop of leather cords around it and was now jabbing it into the water, trying to catch the elusive beast. The underwater creature was getting desperate now, splashing and thrashing in the water as the guard and the steersman drove themselves closer and closer to trapping the helpless beast.

"No!" shouted Snow, "Stop it!" She made a grab for the oar of the steersman but it slipped out of her grasp with how wet it was and how much the boat was rocking.

She tried to grab it again when the guardsman on the stone pathway shouted, "I've got it!" Indeed, he had snagged a long, golden tail of some great fish-creature that he was trying to haul out of the water and onto the stone slabs. The capture creature thrashed and fought with everything it had.

The steersmen dropped the oar and leaped onto the shoreline, causing the boat with only Snow in it to rock precariously and shove further away from the shore. By the time she righted herself up again, she was too far away from the stone walkway to make it in a single leap.

With the combined strength of the two men, the creature was hauled out of the water by her tail.

Both men stopped and stared in horror. "What kind of monster is this?" asked the guard as he drew his sword and pointed it at the mermaid.

Waverly lay dripping wet and helpless on the cold stones of the palace catacomb floor, her tail slapped the ground but was still caught in the tight noose that the guard had a good grip on. She stared up into the men's faces, her golden eyes full of anger and her lips pulled back in a hiss. Her human arms tried to shove herself as far away from the men as she possibly could, until her back hit the wall and there she stayed, hissing up at the two men and showing her fangs.

The guard jerked the leather noose and then placed the tip of his sword onto her chest. "We should kill it then report this incident to the prince and queen. There might be other intruders inside the castle that—" a long wooden oar slammed onto the back of his head; his eyes rolled skyward and he collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.

The steersman whipped around to the sight of the princess he had just about to give a romantic boat ride standing behind him wielding a heavy boat oar as if it weighted nothing. He was too much in shock to react quickly enough and his hesitation cost him. Snow gave him a smack on the forehead and he soon joined his compatriot on the ground.

As soon as the two were out, Snow dropped her weapon and then looked down at the mermaid. She was still cowering in the corner, eyeing Snow up and down as if she could not believe what she had just seen.

"No, it's okay," she reassured as much as she could. "Remember me from earlier? We met at the lake with Rayne? I'm a friend."

The mermaid straightened herself up but still did not speak.

Snow quickly grabbed the sword the guard had dropped and slashed the leather cord that still held the mermaid captive, unwinding it as quickly as she could. Waverly yanked her tail out of the trap, but not without a hiss of pain. As Snow glanced at her face, the mermaid appeared to be moving her mouth as if to speak but nothing came out.

"Can you talk?"

The mermaid shook her head and then made some gestures that Snow could not comprehend. By the way her hands were making waving motions, was it something to do with swimming? She pointed to Snow, raised her eyebrows as if asking a question, then to herself, and then to the still-closed gate that led outside.

Snow finally understood that she was asking if the princess needed to escape. "Yes! Can you help me?"

The mermaid shook her head firmly then pointed to the winding stone stairs that led upward out of the stone waterway; she then cupped her hands on the sides of her mouth and made an 'o' shape with her lips, as if she was howling.

"Rayne!" Snow comprehended immediately. "You're waiting for Rayne."

The mermaid nodded excitedly and then opened her hands wide to indicate a question.

Snow was about to say she had no idea where the wolf was when a commotion broke out on the winding stone staircase. Snow grabbed for the wooden oar again and the Golden Mermaid straightened herself up as best she could, using her arms on the stone walls and readying herself for a fight.

They needn't have worried; two guards in full-armor regalia tumbled head-over-heels down the stone stair cases, neither one of them conscious, and landed in a heap right on top of the two men Snow had already dispatched. Snow and Wave looked up in confusion to the sight of a wolf trotting down the steps, a self-satisfied smirk on her muzzle. The grin melted once the creature caught sight of the mermaid situated at the bottom of the stairs, and the wolf quickly leaped down the remainder of the stairs. Wave gave a small mute cry of relief and wrapped her arms around the furry neck of the animal as soon as she was close enough, nuzzling into the white fur with affection.

The wolf looked up at Snow and spoke in a human voice. "What happened?" She had the magic of a human voice thanks to her adventures with the Golden Mermaid and could speak when she was in her true wolf form.

"The Evil Queen showed up; I just barely made it out and was trying to use one of the boats to escape." Snow eyed the pile of men. "What happened here?"

The golden eyes of the wolf looked guilty, "I was…hoping to see the ball so I snuck in to take a peek. On my way back those two were talking of a commotion down at the boat rides and sounding an alarm so I dispatched them before they could bother." The mermaid glanced at the wolf with an expression of disbelief, as if she were questioning if the wolf was crazy.

Rayne looked grim as she licked Wave's cheeks again. "She can't swim with both of us Snow! Not if we have to keep surfacing and drawing breath," Rayne spoke. "It is not easy for mermaids to surface and then change directions with their tails—" her golden eyes glanced down at the blood on the stone surface "—especially if they're wounded." Wave nodded, a look of guilt on her face as she glanced at Snow.

The princess was stumped. "So…what do we do now?"

…

Odette struggled with all her strength, she kicked, she pulled, and even tried to punch her way out of the iron grip of the evil sorcerer's grip but his grip was too strong.

Staring down at her from his massive height, the evil sorcerer Rothboart asked his voice full of disbelief, "I offered you the world and even mercy in the curse and _this_ is how you repay me?" His fingers dug painfully into her skin, turning it red. Odette flinched. Gone was the suave sorcerer always trying to woe her with a voice of velvet. The man standing in front of her was finally revealing himself as the monster he was. "Thought you could get away with it huh? Thought you could be sneaky?"

"Let me go!" Odette shouted. She was so close to Derek, all she had to do was get out of this grip.

"Calm down my princess," he hissed as he twisted her arm around her back. "I would not want you to miss the party."

Odette felt her whole body shudder at those words. Rothbart was up to something. She just knew it. Before she could contemplate this further, the front doors of the Great Hall burst open with a dramatic flair and Odette heard the unmistakable sound of a pair of high heels clicking on the polished palace floors.

As if on cue, the musicians of the Great Hall had stopped playing and the waltzing and parading of princesses had ended. Every face, every eye turned to whomever it was that had come in late to the ball, even Derek. Odette was utterly confused at the look of relief and adoration that had come over his face. _Who is he looking at?_ Her thoughts were frantic to find an explanation for his sudden change in heart. She tried to shout out and reveal herself to him, but Rothbart clamped a heavy gloved hand over her mouth, silencing her as effectively as if he had used a gag.

"Shhhhh!" he whispered menacingly into Odette's ear as she continued to struggle, "Would not want to interrupt two lovers reunited now would we?"

 _Two_ what! Odette desperately thought. _What is going on…how can Derek be looking at this person like that?_

Rothbart shoved them both forward, still out of sight of the majority of the people in the Hall but enough so that Odette could finally see what was going on. The whole castle guests had formed a circle around a waltzing couple, gazing at the two with expressions of adoration and affection. Odette could barely make out who it was between the masses of shoulders and enlarged hoop skirts.

 _Derek? No…_

But it was true; her love was swaying perfectly to the tune of the orchestra's waltz with a beautiful woman in his arms. A woman who was the same height, had the same grey eyes and striking blonde hair, and the same _face_ as Odette!

 _No, this cannot be…this is more dark magic. How can she look exactly like me?_

Rothbart leaned closer to her. "I want you to watch this princess; this is the moment when everything you ever loved will be ripped away from you forever. The last thing you will see before turning into a swan forever."

 _No, no no! Please no!_

…


	5. The Swan in Flight

**Chapter 5- The Swan in Flight**

 _Present Day: Storybrooke_

…

"So this evil sorcerer is trying to kill her?"

Snow shook her head at her daughter. "From what she told me, his goal was to marry her and take her kingdom, not to kill her."

Hook spoke up, "Well whatever was after her at the sheriff's station was clearly frightening enough that she needed to leave—" he flinched, "— by whatever means necessary." He glanced at the blood-stained piece of glass shard that lay on the table.

Emma nodded grimly. It was the lunch hour and the three of them were meeting in Snow's loft, trying to figure out what their next move was, or if there even was a next move. Emma had leafed through Henry's storybook but found no clues, no illustrations, nothing that might have aided them. Clearly the previous Author had not considered the story of the Swan Princess to be of the upmost importance. One thing that had come to light was that at the end of the original story, the swan princess and her lover had both died. That had puzzled Emma because she had always assumed fairytales had happy endings. Clearly that grim fate had not yet happened to Odette but that did not mean that the story might not play itself out.

And Emma was determined to make sure that did not happen. "I'll ask Dad to put an APB out on her. He's at the station on duty now so we can do it right away." She turned to her mother. "Will you check the animal shelter after school today and see if anyone has reported an injured bird? It's a long shot but maybe somebody has found her already and turned her in."

Snow nodded firmly. "I will. And what about you?"

Emma straightened. "I'm going to pay a visit to this Bart fellow again. Something tells me it was no coincidence that Odette used her precious time as a human to attack him." She frowned as a million possibilities of what his fairytale identity could be turned in her head, none of them good and the most logical a very forbidding one.

Her husband seemed to have come to the same conclusion for he stood as well. "If he is indeed this sorcerer that cursed this poor woman into a swan, he could be dangerous. I will accompany you on that love."

Emma smiled at her pirate. "I would not have it any other way, Deputy."

The two of them drove in Emma's bug to the outskirts of the Northside of town, where the wealthiest and most influential inhabitants of Storybrooke lived. The beat-up bug passed mansion after mansion, stopping in front of a huge, brown lodge complete with an extravagant garden, an array of marbled statues, and an iron gate that swung open automatically to admit them onto the lavishing grounds.

As the sheriff and the pirate made their way up the graveled path, Emma sharp eyes noted the security cameras angled every which way on the property, including towards them. _He will know we are here,_ she thought. _He will have already prepared a statement._ She could not help but smile a little; this was her old, familiar territory as a bail bonds woman. _Time to rattle the skip._ This was what she had missed and she was finally able to do her job again; finally able to be a Savior and help this woman find her happy ending.

At her brisk knocking the front door swung open as one of the richest men in all of Storybrooke opened the door. He smirked at the sight of the two of them standing at his threshold. "Ms. Swan, Captain Hook, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Emma let her hackles up a bit, metaphorically speaking. " _Sheriff_ Swan Mr. Bart and I have some follow-up questions regarding last night's incident."

"Of course, of course. Come in." The personal-injury lawyer stepped aside and the two walked into a grand, well-lit entrance hall filled with gilded entrance tables, extravagant lighting, and polished marble floors.

The hallway led to a larger living area, with plush leather furniture and expensive rugs. Emma and Hook sat without being invited to and the Savior deliberately crossed her legs so that one of her boots was tapping casually on the luxurious mahogany coffee table. Hook caught onto her technique and made sure his left arm, with its hook, was settled onto the couch and digging into the expensive material carelessly. Rothbart settled himself across from the two, his lips tightening at the sight of the two of them being so careless towards his very expensive possessions.

Emma took out her police recorder and switched it on, placing it on the table in front of them. "So Mr. Bart, you included thievery in your list of complaints from last night's incident. However, according to the police report this morning, nothing was missing. Are you sure this woman wanted to take your possessions?"

Rothbart sneered, "Clearly that was the motive of that mad woman. Why else would she have broken into my home and threatened me?"

Emma shrugged carelessly. "That is what we are here to find out. Why she broke in. Did she say anything to you?"

Now she was _really_ pushing his buttons. "Nothing discernible Officer." His reckless and rash mind suddenly realized it would not be in his best interest to reveal to the Savior that he was the one who had laid the curse on Odette, all those years ago. "She was screeching loud enough to raise the dead and I could not understand a word she was saying," he said, attempting to be vague.

" _Sheriff_ Mr. Bart," she quickly corrected, "it's really not that hard to remember. You claimed last night she had made threats against your life and now you are saying that you could not understand what she was saying?"

"Of course I was being threatened with my life! She held a knife to my throat!"

Now it was Hook's turn. "So a skinny, homeless wench who hadn't had a decent meal in days was able to overpower you?" He let out a humph of disbelief while enjoying the change in color of the pallor of the lawyer/sorcerer.

Now Rothbart was very angry and he let it show, "Certainly not! I could have handled her in an instant if my daughter hadn't…"

"Where is your daughter Mr. Bart?"

The question came so suddenly from the sheriff it threw the sorcerer off completely. He managed to stammer out, "Excuse me?"

"Your _dau-ghter_ ," Emma enunciated deliberately as if speaking to a very slow-minded person. "Your daughter Mr. Bart. The one who hit that poor woman on the head with a poker last night?"

Rothbart's eyes narrowed. "I haven't the foggiest idea. She and I are not on close terms."

Hook smirked; this man was a terrible liar. Emma caught the lie too. She tapped her foot loudly against the coffee table, showing herself to be completely at ease and irking the sorcerer further.

"We will want to talk to her right away to take her statement as well so when you _see_ her again,—" Emma leaned forward, narrowing her eyes and glaring, "—tell her to come down to the station."

"I'll not have my daughter dragged to a filthy police station and treated like a common—!"

"That will be all Mr. Bart." Emma picked up the tape recorder, switched it off, and stood up abruptly to leave. Hook did as well, although he shot a puzzled look to his wife. Hadn't they had the man dangling at the end of a fishing hook and now it was time for the kill?

Fortunately, Emma had an ace up her sleeve and was just the kind of Savior who liked dramatic exits. Just as the two of them were about to leave the mansion, she whipped around and then faced her "skip" head-on. "One last question Mr. Bart, do you recognize this?" She held up her drawing of the swan necklace she had seen around the neck of the swan in the city lake. Was that only a few of days ago? It seemed like weeks.

The sorcerer's face blanched at the sight and his upper lip quivered ever so slightly. Hook could not help but grin; his fair swan could not have timed it more perfectly. The man stuttered out, very unconvincingly, "I,—I have never seen that before in my entire life!"

Savior Emma Swan smiled in a very satisfied kind of way as she folded the paper carefully and pocketed it in her red leather jacket. Her suspicion had been confirmed. Then, her face very threatening, she leaned closer to Rothbart and practically breathed into his face. "I know who you are and I know what you did back in the Enchanted Forest, sorcerer." Her voice had an intimidating note that was rarely heard. Rothbart was so overwhelmed he did not say a word. "You stay away from Odette or you will have to deal with _me_. And trust me—" she eyed the man up and down as if he was no consequence to her "—you do not want war with the Savior."

With that, the sheriff and the pirate turned and sauntered out the front door, shutting the door onto the stunned face of the flustered sorcerer.

"Well that was... _pathetic_ papa."

Rothbart whipped around to see his daughter leaning in the hallway, concealed in the shadows.

He was furious and embarrassed all in one. "You heard everything and you just stood there!?"

She shrugged carelessly and her leather skin-tight dress made a small noise to the effect. "I think you pretty much told the Savior what she wanted to know so I decided not to interfere."

"I told her nothing, she was just—!"

"We'll have to step up our plans," she walked past her father towards one of the gilded mirrors in the hallway. Lightly brushing back her blonde hair, she consciously touching the blot on the side of her face, and studied her reflection. "The swan is back and she is going to want to contact every ally that she can to help her. So it is our job to make sure she has none."

Rothbart was further puzzled but tried hard not to show it. "Of course, of course. We'll need to kill that Savior and then that stupid—"

"Oh please papa," Odile sneered at her father. "You would do best to stay away from her. You would not last one minute against the Savior." She smirked at her father's disbelief. "Besides, I have someone better in mind."

Inside the bug, unaware of the conversation taking place inside the mansion, Emma fastened her seat belt then waited for Hook to do the same. "If that doesn't make him stay away from Odette, nothing will. He is a coward and not going to do a thing without help from his daughter." She glanced out the window towards the mansion. She had a funny feeling that their interrogation of the sorcerer had been overheard. "Something tells me it's her we should be worried about and not him."

Killian tilted his head. "Why is that love?"

Emma frowned. "He is too rash to have planned a revenge for almost 30 years. You saw how he reacted to us in there; he is too compulsive and not patient enough to have placed the curse on Odette then waited this long to exact his revenge. Even if she has only started turning back into a swan now, something tells me he would have done something drastic by now." She smirked. "Especially if she went to his house and almost cut his throat."

Killian nodded with a smile, "Aye. A brave lass indeed."

As the two were sitting in the yellow bug the sunlight surrounding the area started to fade into the beautiful sunset that Storybrooke was known for. They both turned to take in the sight but for once, they were not entranced by it.

Emma quickly turned the bug over. "Let's get going. I want to check the lake again."

…

Snow felt an odd feeling of foreboding as the sun was setting that afternoon. She had spent the entire day half-distracted, which was not a good idea when teaching a bunch of 12-year olds the importance of biology, but had managed to dismiss class a little bit early so she could investigate the local animal shelter. The children did not complain; they had all scrambled out of the classroom as if they were fearful she would change her mind and call them back. Five minutes afterwards she was in her car resuming the search for her lost friend. She pulled her vehicle into the animal shelter just before closing time.

 _She has to be alright,_ she kept telling herself. But it was getting harder and harder to convince herself. Honestly, if it had been Ella or Aurora who had been cursed to spend the day as an animal she would be less worried, they were both very strong and highly capable. Ella had grown up as a hard-working servant girl and Aurora was a formidable Dreamwalker. But Odette…well, Odette had spent her entire life a polished princess and Snow was not sure how she would take to living during the day as a bird and being on her own in this Land Without Magic.

But now was not the time to give up hope. _She has strength, she can handle this,_ she tried to persuade herself. Snow lurched out of her car and stepped quickly into the shelter. The building was deserted except for one customer browsing the reptile aisle. The princess walked briskly up to her old friend Dr. Ameyew the town vet behind the counter and explained the dilemma, discreetly of course.

"I'm sorry Snow," he said apologetically once she had finished. "No one has turned in an injured swan and I have not heard any reports of people sighting one."

"Are you sure?" Snow could not help but ask again. "She is large and white, has a golden streak on the feathers of her head, a big black beak and…"

"Snow," The friendly veterinarian interrupted her ravings with a comforting smile. "I think I know what a swan looks like and I assure you, I have seen no such beast around here as of yet."

Snow sighed. Yet another dead end then. Still one should be polite. "Alright," she said disappointedly, "thank you anyway. If you do happen to see her, please call the sheriff station right away. It is an urgent matter."

"Excuse me."

Snow turned to see the customer who had been browsing earlier was now standing next to her, an armful of turtle food, and apparently having heard every bit of the conversation she had just had.

"Why are you inquiring about a swan?" he asked.

Snow was immediately on guard. Based on how her friend had broken out of the cell early this morning Odette was running from someone in this town and, for all Snow knew, this stranger could be the reason. "Oh it's nothing of importance," she said nonchalantly as she shouldered her purse and turned away from the counter to the exit. "Have a good day," she called out to Dr. Ameyew.

Quickly stepping outside onto the curb, she glanced west down Main Street to the setting sun on the horizon. _Won't be long now,_ she thought.

"Excuse me miss!"

Snow jumped a little. The other customer had followed her outside, his arms empty now. Apparently he had hurried enough to drop the turtle food and chase after her. He breathlessly walked right up to her. "This swan you described with the golden streak on its head—how do you know about that?"

Snow's hand strayed casually inside of her purse as if seeking her car keys, but in reality brushing against the knife she always carried for protection. "This is really none of your business so if you will excuse me—"

She tried to step towards her car again, when the stranger sidestepped in front of her. "What do you know about her? Why are you asking about a swan?"

" _Her?_ " Now Snow was more interested than wary. "Why did you say 'her'? Who are you?"

"Derek, my name is Derek," he said quickly. His eyes looked desperate. "What do you know about my swan princess?"

…

"Dopey, could you please take the trash out to the dumpster? We're getting kind of full in here," the head chef called out to one of his kitchen aids.

The youngest of the seven dwarves nodded his head and put down the bread pans he had been carrying to the washing sink, without spilling any of them thank goodness! He was not the most coordinated of his brethren but none faulted him for wanting to help during the night shifts at the local food co-op.

Before the first Dark Curse had broken he had been a wandering transient, never having much of a home or not knowing where or when his next meal would come. Because of his gentle and quiet nature, the homeless shelter was not a place that he enjoyed and had avoided it as much as possible. However, the co-op had taken him in and given him a bed and a part-time job which was a life-changer for him. At least until the Savior had broken the curse and reunited him with his brothers. His generous, simple heart felt the need to give back to the people who had been so kind and helped him, all those lonely years he was separate from his dwarf family. So now he volunteered during the nights in addition to his daily toils in the diamond mines. His brothers did not know about it and he preferred it that way, not wanting to be accused of a goody-two shoes or a slacker in the diamond mines.

Trash bag in hand, he skipped merrily down the alley to where the city dumpster was. Raising the lid, he carefully placed the bag inside and closed it just as carefully. He was returning to the kitchen back door when he paused. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Like that time back in the Enchanted Forest he had playfully put some diamonds on his eyelids and had seen dozens of Docs standing in front of him?

He turned back, blinking his eyes hard to make sure. No he had not seen things. Sitting on the cold, hard ground and leaning against the dumpster was a woman; she had her legs spread out in front of her and her eyes closed; at first he could not tell if she was alive or not. It frightened him for a minute thinking he was looking at a corpse, but then he saw that she was breathing lightly.

He knelt next to her, staring for a minute because he was uncertain as to what to do. It looked like she had passed out from exhaustion; he glanced down at her ragged shirt and saw through the holes she was cut up and bleeding alongside her abdomen and forearms. Tentatively, he reached out and gently touched her shoulder. There was no response. When he tried it again, this time giving the shoulder a bit of a shake, he saw her eyelids flitter a bit before sliding open painfully slowly. Her eyes were haunted but beautiful, being an unusual grey color that the dwarf had never seen in eyes before. She looked up at him, without any expression on her face, before her head collapsed to the side and she passed out again.

Dopey frowned, his simple but kind mind racing and attempting to find a solution. What could he do to help her?

…

Emma quickly pulled her bug into the sheriff station parking lot, swerving a little in her hast. As she exited she noticed all of the lights were on inside. At this late hour, that could only mean something was up.

She quickly trotted into the holding cell and office area. "Mom!" she called out as she rounded the corner. "I got here as soon as I could." She stopped, breathless. "Did you find her?"

Snow was standing next to David in the station desk space area, both huddled as if conversing in hushed tones just prior to her arrival. Snow turned at the sound of her daughter's inquiries and fixed her with a worried expression. "No, I am afraid not."

Emma was exasperated. "Then why did you call and ask me to come here as soon as possible?!" She was frustrated beyond belief. "We need to be out there searching for Odette!"

Snow was not sure how to proceed. This was very big news. "Emma, I um, found—that is he found me—" She side-stepped and Emma noticed for the first time a stranger standing behind her parents. A large guy in working-man's boots and denim jacket with longer, dark brown hair and eyes.

Snow mumbled an introduction as best she could, given the unusual circumstances. "Emma, this is Derek."

Emma still failed to see the significance. "Yeah?" she asked impatiently.

The stranger stepped forward and offered his hand. "In this realm I am called Derek but I was known as Prince Derek of Chamberg back in the Enchanted Forest." Emma did not take his hand; she was in too much shock. "I was…am, Odette's true love."

Emma's jaw just dropped. "What?!"

…

"We need some more bread over here please!"

The insistent shouting, the banging of pots on pans, and other sounds typically associated with a busy kitchen woke Odette up first. The pain in her sides came later. Blinking her eyes to the onset of bright, fluorescent lights she slowly became aware she was lying on her side on a small bed in the corner of a kitchen of some sort. Not that it looked like any kitchen she had ever seen in the palace; there was far more metal and less animals running around.

As she elbowed herself upward, turning her head this way and that to take it all in, she became aware of a short man sitting on a stool in front of her. He had on a white apron and a purple hat that slung down the back of his head in an odd shape. He did not speak but held out a bowl of stew to her with one of the friendliest, most genuine, smiles she had ever seen.

Odette grabbed the bowl and shoveled the food into her mouth as fast as she could, not bothering to slow down and check herself for her un-princess-like behavior. At this point, she was beyond that. Once satisfied she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and asked the first question that came to mind. "How did I get here?"

The short man in front of her smiled wider and tapped his chest a few times. Then he raised both hands over his head as if carrying an object.

Odette understood perfectly. "Thank you." She had never meant those two words more in her entire life.

Dopey nodded, a smile still on his face.

As she emptied the bowl and slowly chewed her food her thoughts turned to the question that she could not ask out loud. _How did I transform into a human when I was not on the lake?_ She clearly remembered escaping from the Sheriff's station after that great, bat-like creature had appeared. The same one that had abducted her, all those years ago, in the Enchanted Forest and had carried her to Rothbart. She remembered that, but she was puzzled beyond compare as to how she got to be human. She had little to no memories of the 30 years she spent as a swan, when this small town was apparently under some kind of Dark Curse and she had been caught up in it, but she could clearly remember the past few days since she was able to become human again.

 _Perhaps Magic does not work the way it should in this land,_ she mused as she finished the last of her meal. The little information she had been able to snatch by listening to the inhabitants of Storybrooke informed her this was a land without magic, yet the town itself did have magic. Perhaps that was why her transformations were more painful in this realm vs the Enchanted Forest.

Odette set down the empty bowl on a kitchen table next to her bed then tried to use its support to stand, flinching at the feeling of the cuts on her sides. They had been cleaned and bandaged, probably by the dwarf, but were still extremely painful. The dwarf seemed to notice her discomfort for he quickly rose as well and grasped her right arm to help her up.

She eased slowly to a standing position, then studied her rescuer. "Why do you not speak noble dwarf? Have you no tongue?"

As an answer, Dopey playfully stuck out his tongue to show her that he did indeed have one. Then he gestured to his throat, shook his head, and shrugged. His brothers had told him he had never tried to speak his entire life so why start now? Odette managed a small smile, her face muscles feeling as if they were cracking at the effort. When was the last time she had actually smiled?

While the dwarf and the princess were conversing, the other kitchen occupants had glanced curiously over at the newcomer. They all remembered taking in Dopey at a time when he most needed it so they thought it only reasonable he would do the same for another homeless vagabond. The regal and proud way she stood up gave several of the kitchen workers a pause however; she did not look like someone who had been on the streets for long and she had the manner of royalty.

Heavy footsteps resounded from one of the kitchen's entrances and Odette looked up to see a tall, intimidating-looking man step into the busy room and glance questioningly at her and Dopey. At the sight of him, the other kitchen aides scurried to appear busy so he was clearly a man of some authority around here.

"And who are you miss?" he directed a steady gaze to Odette.

She ducked a little behind Dopey. "No one. Only a poor soul who has lost her home and her family," she replied meekly as her hands tucked her dirty hair behind her ears in an attempt to look presentable.

Dopey sensed her discomfort so he immediately 'spoke' up on her behalf. He pointed to her a few times, gestured towards the bed in the corner, then placed his folded hands on his cheek and tilted his head as if sleeping. Then he cupped his right hand together and tilted it towards this mouth as if he was drinking, then mimed using a spoon to eat something.

"No."

Dopey clutched his hands together in front of his body, pleading.

"No Dopey," the kitchen master spoke firmly but not unkindly. "I cannot afford to keep taking in more hungry mouths to feed." He seemed a reasonable fellow so Odette did not fault him for his decision.

Dopey however was not giving up. He glanced around the busy kitchen then grabbed a large wooden spoon from the nearest counter, using it to stir an imaginary substance in an empty pot. Then he pretended the spoon was a broom handle and used it to mime sweeping the floor. He opened his arms wide, gesturing to the expanse of the kitchen, his face the very picture of a suggestion.

"A kitchen maid?" the head asked. "In that outfit?"

Dopey glanced at Odette and she felt her face flame with embarrassment. She was filthy and ragged. Her hands unconsciously tried to brush the dried mud from her once-white shirt, hid the blood-stains, and straighten her sleeves. The too-large pants were filled with holes at the knees from her scrambling in the lakeside brush after she transformed and her feet were the filthiest she had ever seen. Surely if she was in charge of this kitchen house she would not want to hire a filthy-looking waif such as herself. A few awkward seconds past as Dopey looked back up to his boss, pleading with his eyes.

The head chef sighed, taking in the piteous look of Dopey. He seemed to already be changing his mind, solely out of concern for the dwarf he had taken in so long ago. His face softened. "I could use an extra hand for special events such as meetings and weddings, and she could help out around the kitchen during the night shift and do some dishwashing." He stepped forward and tapped Dopey on the shoulder briskly. "Find her some proper clothes and get her to work." He stepped out of the kitchens.

Dopey nodded, looking extremely pleased with himself as he turned to Odette. She was mulling the new situation and its possibilities over in her mind. A place to sleep and a job would certainly be helpful. After she transformed she could report here, hid out until the next morning, and then transform again out of sight. It would certainly help to not have to duck into alleyways scrounging for food, as well as keep her out of Rothbart's sights.

 _And the sheriff's_ , she reminded herself. She had escaped her jail cell and was likely a wanted fugitive now; she would have to avoid the sheriff as well in this realm. So long as she transformed discreetly from swan to human, and stayed in the kitchens working at night, she should be fine. She had never worked for a living in her entire life but she would be willing to try.

She smiled at the dwarf that had helped her. "Thank you my friend."

…


	6. The Curse of the Swan

**Chapter 6: The Curse of the Swan**

 _Flashback: The Enchanted Forest_

…

Princess Snow White was stumped. "So…what do we do now?" Her entire brilliant plan of escape seemed shattered. The boatman was out cold, the guard was as well, and they were still trapped inside the castle with the Evil Queen just upstairs.

The mermaid slapped her golden tail on the ground, seemingly restless with all of this chatter. Her golden eyes kept glancing up the stairs where more humans were likely to emerge and she let out a low hiss of anxiety.

The white wolf glanced at the gondola boat, still bobbing in the confines of the castle grotto. "What if you and I take the boat ourselves?"

Snow shook her head, "The guards will see us outside and become suspicious of there not being a driver." She glanced at the unconscious boat steersman she had knocked out earlier. He was heftily built and there was no way that either she, nor Rayne in her human form, could fit into his outfit and pass off as a boat driver. Disguises had worked for her in the past but not this time.

There came a sudden raising of voices from the stony stairs above, reminding the three of them that there was still a ball going on and a chance more guests could descend upon and discover them. Snow quickly moved towards the mermaid, hoping to move her away from the open position at the bottom of the stone steps she was at.

At her touch, the sea maiden attempted to jerk away with a small hiss and a fearful look that surprised and almost offended Snow. Then she understood, despite having saved her from those horrible men earlier she really was a stranger to this mermaid; they only knew each other through Rayne. If their roles were switched, she certainly would be wary of some alien human who had just laid out two-fully size guards from the castle.

"I'm sorry," she quickly said, "I did not mean to scare you."

The golden eyes of the mermaid narrowed, as if contemplating the statement of the human, then she seemed to concede. She shrugged her shoulders and wrapped her arms around the furry neck of the wolf instead. The creature managed to drag the fish-woman so that she was perched on the rock ledge above the dark waters. The tips of her tail touched the water and she seemed to sigh in relief at the feeling of the water.

That gave Snow an idea. "Ariel managed to swim me away from the Evil Queen once. Could she do the same?"

The wolf and the mermaid both glanced up at the princess, their expressions both astounded.

Snow was at a loss. What had she said that was so phenomenal? "What is it?"

The wolf lifted a furry eyebrow. "You'll have to stay underwater a long time to get past the guards and out of sight from the Queen's men surrounding the castle."

"Well then we won't surface."

Rayne raised her furry eyebrows further. "From what I've experienced humans need to breathe!"

But Snow was already stripping off her outerwear and her shoes; it would only drag them as they made their escape underwater. She sat down on the cold stone steps leading into the deeper water, clad only in her underdress and corset. "Then I'll just have to hold my breath longer. Unless you have a better idea?"

To that question, Wave's eyes lit up as if with an idea. She gestured at Rayne to lean closer then rasped a few words in mer-tongue to her. The wolf-girl looked perplexed. "I hadn't thought of that but yes, I suppose that could work." She turned to Snow. "She says she has an idea for keeping you under the water and out of sight. I think it will work." Snow opened her mouth to ask her to clarify, since it seemed to be such a brand new idea but the wolf had already turned and trotted over to the lever that opened the gates. "Ready?" she asked Snow. "I'll pull open the gate then dive in after you guys."

Snow and Wave both nodded, the former slipping fully into the water and the later following her with nary a splash around her fin. Snow held back a gasp as the coldness of the water struck her like a blow to the gut and she fought to stop her teeth from chattering. The mermaid seemed to sense her discomfort for she came right over and wrapped her arms around Snow's back, getting a firm but gentle grip. Her golden eyes bore into Snow's forest-green ones with a gentle expression that said, _Trust me._

"Alright, here we go!" Rayne howled as loud as she dared and then threw her whole weight into pulling the lever. The gates finally swung with a creaking louder than was comfortable, but they were finally open!

Snow felt the small but strong hands of the mermaid pull her under the water after she had a taken a deep breath. _Here we go!_

They were propelled away from the shallow waters of the castle grotto and into the main streams faster than Snow would have ever thought possible. _Whoosh!_ Even when Ariel had pulled her away from the clutches of the Evil Queen on the docks she had never gone this fast underwater.

After only a few minutes of swimming Snow's lungs began to burn…

 _Big, beautiful mountains with lots of fresh mountain AIR. Immense ballrooms with long windows and plenty of breathing room. That fresh morning air right when I wake up in my latest hideout. Air, breathing,_ _ **more air**_ _. I just need to concentrate on that and do nothing else,_ Snow thought as she was propelled underwater further and further from the castle by the Golden Mermaid.

 _Who am I kidding?_ Her thoughts were starting to get more extreme as she felt her lungs shrivel even more. _I am going to drown here?_ She was now aware of only the cold water enveloping her, the iron grip of the mermaid around her torso, and the fact that she could not move in any purposeful way.

Involuntarily, she attempted to gasp and take a breath but it was to no avail. As if sensing Snow's decision, the fish-woman simply clamped a small but powerful hand over Snow's nose and mouth, cutting off any efforts at inhaling the water and drowning. Snow panicked and really started to struggle. Just as she felt she would pass out from lack of air, the mermaid's small hands turned her around in one swift motion and clasped her numb cheeks. Then, a face was thrust forward towards hers and a pair of lips was forced over her own…suddenly she found herself _inhaling_!

 _Oh that feels_ much _better_ , Snow thought as she felt her lungs filling up and her mind clearing. She stopped struggling and concentrated only on inhaling. Once her lungs were satisfied and she was able to focus she found herself staring into the beaming face of the Golden Mermaid, the gills on the sides of her neck were flapping wide open and her golden eyes flashed merrily.

 _Better?_ Waverly asked with raised eyebrows and a small tilt of her head.

Snow managed to nod. At once, the mermaid readjusted her hold on the princess and propelled them both away.

 _Well that was…different_ , Snow thought as they swam away. _Never thought that would happen to me…another woman's lips on my own._

The mermaid surfaced near a driveway to the castle but then had to duck under quickly as a whole slew of the Queen's soldiers came marching along. Hopefully they had not been seen.

Snow and Waverly surfaced again just beyond the castle grounds, in a small grove of willows and the princess gasped for air, again and again. Getting out of the range of the guards was taking longer than she had originally expected. _How long are we going to have to keep swimming like this?_

Suddenly, Waverly's head whipped towards the forest opening in the grove, fear written on her features before she squeezed Snow closer.

"Wave? What's…?"

The mermaid placed a single finger on Snow's lips, silencing her as effectively as if she had used a gag. Snow could only watch as the waters parted around them and no less than half a dozen heads emerged from the water before she could ask what was going on.

Snow White's eyes widened when she saw them.

In all her imagination about water nymphs she never imagined they would look quite like this. All her childhood picture books depicted the water maidens of the lakes and ponds as beautiful, waif-like, and completely harmless. These women…the moonlight teased the blue/greenish in their hair, almost making it glow as it fell around their angelic features and pale eyes. And those eyes were narrowed and looking right at them! Try as she might, she could not get over the idea that those eyes glowed with a feral anger, something she had only ever seen in the eyes of the Evil Queen when she had been thwarted yet again by Snow White's bandit antics.

Waverly tightened her hold on Snow's shoulders; the pressure felt both reassuring and frightening to the princess. She knew just how vulnerable she was now if the mermaid herself was intimidated by these fellow water maidens. Waverly turned so that Snow as behind her and somewhat out of the line of sight of the nymphs.

"Why do you disturb our home sea-hag!" shouted one female, her face the very picture of fury.

The mermaid pulled back her lips and hissed loudly, startling Snow quite a bit. She knew mermaids were not dainty creatures but rather fierce, apex predators but somehow, for whatever reason, it always surprised her to see them act as such.

"You do not belong here!" screeched yet another. "Go back to your polluted salty mess of a home!"

Waverly hissed again adding a chuting sound that Snow knew was an insult right back. At the movement, the body of the mermaid shifted so that Snow was visible to the water nymphs. She saw every single set of eyes turn to her, and then narrow with rage.

"A human! You dare bring a human here!"

"We must kill it! It will reveal our location—"

"Sent it to the bottom of the lake—"

Snow was aghast. She had no idea her presence would cause such trouble for her mermaid escort. She tried to be reasonable. "No please wait!" she called out and tried not to sound terrified. "I mean you no harm; my friend was just taking me away from the castle—"

Her head was forced underwater and, because she had been talking at the time, a big mouthful of lake water went into it. She almost choked but then _whoosh_! She was back above the water, spitting and coughing for all she was worth. Waverly had tried to flee underwater but had been forced to surface when a water nymph dove right in front of the two. They simultaneously lunged and Waverly was forced to let go of Snow.

The princess floundered a little in the water before she got her legs under her and managed to stay afloat.

Waverly was fighting three nymphs at once. Her fangs and sharp, strong nails flashed as she twisted and ducked and punched and even slapped with her tail. Snow did her best to evade because she knew she was less than useless with a fight in the water, and somehow managed to get away from the worst of the splashing fighting mermaid and nymphs. Suddenly, a stranger's head surface in front of her, then a small feminine hand shot out and gripped her throat tightly.

"Die human!"

Snow pounded on the arm with her fist but it was like trying to snap a huge tree branch. She felt herself being pushed backwards, the water cascading around her, and her throat closing up. Just as she felt her lungs were about to burst, a white furry figure seemed to sail over her and landed on top of the assaulting water nymph.

Rayne snapped her mouth over the woman's neck just before there came a burst of water droplets and she disappeared. The canine was paddling dog-like into the chaos of the water battle, before turning to Snow and yelling in a very clear human voice.

"Swim! We'll handle them!"

Snow did not need to be told twice; she took a deep breath and glided away. She tried to move fast back towards the river but just as she felt she was away from the fight strong set of arms closed around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides.

She struggled in the iron grip for a second but then saw the flash of golden scales and realized it was Waverly. The mermaid held her tight and _whoosh_ ed the two of them away, pumping her tail as fast as possible.

…

 **Back in the Castle…**

"For this is a vow of everlasting love…" the princes' mighty voice carried over the entire assembly, strong and clear for the entire world to hear.

 _Everlasting love? What is he talking about?_

Siegfried's words echoed in Odette's ears. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit him and throw him out a window like Snow White could have done. She wanted to reach out and grab Siegfried by the shoulders and shake him hard, beg him to recognize that the woman in front of him was _not_ her. She wanted to hate him for not seeing it himself, not seeing that the evil Von Rothbart was tricking him. But she knew she could not do any of those things. No matter how much it was killing her to see the man she loved pledge to someone else, she could never hate him. She loved him.

"All of this can end Odette," Von Rothbart had come up behind her and was leaning over her, his mustache brushing her left ear in an nauseating way as he whispered into it, "I can stop him and make him silent; I can wave him silent with one fleck of my hand and he will not be able to finish what he is about to say. If you will just agree to one _simple_ thing—" he leaned closer still, his cheek grazing Odette's own. She shivered and tried to yank away but the magic still had her frozen to the spot, "—marry me!"

Had he seriously just said that? What was it going to take to make him realize that would _never_ happen! He could turn her into a bird, a worm, a frog for all she cared and it would not happen. Her people, her land would suffer greatly with Von Rothbart as its ruler; that she knew. She was a princess, and a princess had to look after her kingdom…no matter what the cost.

Odette's expression was ice-cold. "I…will… _not._ "

"—a vow for you and for the entire world—"

"This is your _last_ chance princess!"

"—that I make now—"

"You'll never be a human again; you'll die as a swan."

 _Siegfried, please no! It's a trick!_

"—to Odette!"

 _Noooooooooo!_

It felt as if the very earth beneath her feet had opened and swallowed her whole. The magical hold on her had been released, but Odette was too much in shock to notice. She swayed precariously, feeling her very heart break into a million little pieces and scatter to the winds. It was over then. Siegfried had pledged his love to the wrong girl.

She felt the damning change come a second later: the down feathers growing on her fingers, the hunching of her neck, and then the sprouting of white wings on her own arms. Odette fought it, she fought it as she had never before, and managed to half-crawl, half-walk on legs as heavy as stones past the threshold of the outer columned hallway into the light of the Great Hall. All eyes were still on the 'happy' couple in the center of the crowd so no one noticed her for now…all she had to do was get Siegfried to turn around and see her…

Her doppelgänger was facing her so she was the only person to notice her struggle. As Odette painstakingly came closer, the imposter reached her hands up and clasped Siegfried's face to gently guide him into a kiss. Her cold cruel eyes were on Odette the whole time.

If she thought her heart was broken before that was nothing compared to the pain Odette felt now seeing the lips of another woman over Siegfried's. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out except a small honk. Just before her eyes clouded over with the limited coloration of a bird's view, it looked as if Siegfried was being enveloped into a massive black shade…with the outline of a black swan with burning red eyes.

Then…her thoughts, her memories, her very being…were no more. She was a swan.

…

 **Outside the Castle…**

Snow noticed the mermaid had stopped stroking her tail and was now surfacing in a secluded riverbed, well out of the way of the castle and its surrounding guards as well as the willow glade guarded by water nymphs. Snow's head broke the surface and she heaved in the blessed air that flooded her lungs. Waverly giggled at the sight.

"Hey!" Snow feigned offense. "Some of us are not lucky enough to have gills or a tail!"

The mermaid shrugged then helped Snow up onto the grassy bank. Snow wiped some mud off her face and glanced down at her dress. The article was completely in tatters, streaked with green algae and covered in mud, useless to its previous owner now. _I'll have to thank that duchess for her dress, if I ever see her again._ A snap of a twig to the right bank caused both the mermaid and the princess to tense before a furry head poked itself out of the dense forest brush. Rayne shook off the excessive moisture, spraying the two of them with muddy droplets, then stepped back and shifted to her human form.

"Good to see you two," she said with relief as she helped Snow further onto the bank then crouched next to the river's edge and touched the mermaid's cheek.

Snow coughed and coughed, trying to get the still-excessive amounts of water out of her mouth. _My gods, what an experience._

"Glad you made it out," Snow answered. She glanced over her shoulder back at the palace, thinking about her friend inside. She could not help but worry about Odette and leaving her there. "I wish I could have stayed, made sure she got through."

"It was too dangerous for you to stay," Rayne said quickly. "The Evil Queen or one of her knights would have spotted you."

Wave nodded her agreement and, pumping her tail so that she could reach, she touched Snow's right cheek in a reassuring kind of way. The princess was a bit startled at the intimacy of the touch but, then again, perhaps the water battle had made a better impression of her to the mermaid. That she was a human to be trusted.

The mermaid gestured to the open expansion of the river, making swimming motions with her hands. She seemed to be telling them that she was leaving back to the ocean. She chirped a few sounds and Rayne smiled at her.

"She says she was glad to help and that she is glad the princess got her true love," Rayne said. "She wants to get back to her husband though."

Snow nodded. "Of course, I completely understand." She took the mermaid's hand in her own. "Thank you Waverly."

The mermaid ducked her head a little and her shoulders raised themselves, a bit bashful at thanks being directed at her. Rayne leaned forward and gave the mermaid a kiss on the lips, startling Snow a little, as the other woman slowly lowered herself into the water.

Then she was gone.

"You know, she was not quite what I expected," Snow could not help but comment.

Rayne gave Snow a quizzical look. "How so?"

"Well…she's not as-" she struggled for a good word to explain"-as _gentle_ I suppose as I expected. I always thought mermaids were—"

"Gentle sea maidens who spend most of their time combing their hair on rocks and swimming after boats?"

Snow was perplexed. "Well, yeah."

Rayne gave a snort that was almost wolf-like. "I think you'll find mermaids are remarkably similar to wolves. Apex predators, not just sea maidens."

"Is that why you and her…why you said goodbye with…"

Rayne smiled, genuinely amused. "I know humans think of kissing in such a way that should only be restricted to lovers but wolves do not, and neither do mermaids for that matter." She gazed towards the end of the river. "We were just saying goodbye, nothing more." She then turned to Snow. "Speaking of which, I think it's time we said goodbye too."

Snow smiled and enveloped the wolf in a hug. "Thank you for your help Rayne."

"You're very welcome." The wolf glanced back at the castle. "And I am sure your friend is doing just fine."

…

 **Back Inside the Castle…**

Since the ensemble was watching the prince and the princess, no one noticed the bird lift herself upward and fly out of the castle window. Except for one who hated all forms of love so she deliberately looked away as the royal couple kissed. The Evil Queen Regina's dark eyes crinkled in confusion at the sight of the swan. "Now what are _you_ doing here?" she asked out loud to the strange sight of a large swan flying out of the castle.

Prince Derek of Chamberg was caught up in the romantic kiss but, ever so slowly, his mind registered something wrong. He had known something was different about Odette when he saw her walk through the front doors but this, this was just—very wrong. His entire being was rejecting the caress and he pulled away before it even lasted very long.

"My love what is wrong?" purred the woman he thought was Odette.

"You…you seem so cold Odette," Derek answered, "What has happened to you?"

Her hand came up to cup his cheek in a gentle manner, but it still felt so wrong. "Nothing my love. I am myself." She smiled coyly. "It may simply be Von Rothbart placing doubts in your mind to take away your feelings and make this curse continue."

"Yes but—"

"Excuse me!"

Derek jumped. A woman dressed entirely in black and with a very high horsetail arrangement of her hair had sauntered over and interrupted the reunion. Regina had had just about enough of the happy young couple and was the only one in the entire assembly with the audacity to come forward and break up the reunion.

"If you two 'lovebirds' are quite finished, I have important matters to attend elsewhere so I will say adieu and good luck!" She smirked as she glanced at the two of them, clearly not impressed with their display. "I am _suuuree_ you will be very happy with yourselves; especially since you cannot seem to keep stray birds out of your own castle!" She was in the process of turning away when Derek spoke up. "Stray birds?"

Regina turned back, very uninterested. "Yes well, swans are not my forte but whatever you feel is necessary to keep in your castle by all means have those white birds flying around everywhere—"

"Odette!"

Derek leapt away from the woman he knew now to be a trick. "Where did you see her?" he demanded from Regina.

She was so startled she let her façade of Evil Queen drop for a second. "Her? That bird was a 'her'?"

But Derek was now rounding on the other woman, the woman he had kissed, the woman he had thought was his love, —and now the woman he had made the pledge that could have saved Odette, that could have broken her curse. He was going to grab her and demand an explanation when a dark mass suddenly enveloped her into a red-tinted cloud of magic. He backed up as wind and lightning swarmed around and dark magic tingled in the air. The rest of the assembly were screaming and charging for the exits, it was utter chaos.

Regina backed away as well, but not as quick, and with far less concern than the rest of the crowds. She rounded her hand and summoned a quick fireball. "Oh no you don't!" she challenged the dark swarming mass in front of her. "Dark magic is _my_ forte."

She aimed a blast at the center of the dark form but it was simply absorbed into the swirling magic, no effect whatsoever.

"You think you are the only one who deals in Dark Magic oh wondrous 'Evil Queen'", came a loud shrilly voice from the dark mass. "I was born of a dark sorcerer and none can match me." The swirling mass finally materialized into a woman, dressed in a black and red dress with fringes flaring and eye blazing.

Siegfried drew his sword, ready to let out his fury and anger. He charged at the woman but was deflected back with a simple wave of her hand. The sword went flying out of his hand and he slammed into a wooden table.

"Oh please!" she shrilled in a mocking tone. "Surely you can do better than that."

"Well _I_ certainly can!"

Regina flung another fireball at the sorceress' unprotected left side and managed to cause her to flounder a bit, she then followed up by waving a few iron pikes into life to bind themselves around the middle of the woman. Odile struggled only briefly before the iron melted at her touch. She then brought up her hand to send her own magic ball of energy flying at Regina when Derek jumped in front of her and deflected the magic using the sword that he had managed to retrieve.

He squared off with the sorceress and Regina did likewise. She had an almost feral grin of enjoyment on her face that startled Derek quite a bit. "I haven't had a good fight in soo long," she murmured. Derek was not sure if she was directly speaking to him but he chose not to answer, simply because he did not really know what to say to _that!_

Odile eyed both the prince and the Evil Queen but then turned her vengeful gaze fully on Derek. "You could have had me you stupid prince; you could have forgotten all about that spoiled princess; you could have—"

"And you could shut up!"

Regina was tired of this charade and showed it not only by her shout of irritation but also by another blast of magical force. While Odile was distracted she turned to Derek. "I think you better go."

"No I am not leaving here…"

"You're just going to get in my way," Regina spat out. Clearly she was not at all concerned for his safety but rather that she would have a good battle.

Derek opened his mouth, about to protest again but then he remembered Odette; she was out there all alone. He raced to the exit, screaming for a horse so that he could find his true love.

He would still be searching 30 years later…


	7. The Swan in Peril

**Chapter 7: The Swan in Peril**

 _Present Day: Storybrooke_

…

"Wait, _your_ Odette's true love?" Emma asked yet again. "You're actually alive?"

"Yes! How many times do I have to say it?" Derek spoke strongly as he threw up his hands.

"Alright let's just all calm down," David said as he placed himself between his daughter and the stranger with arms outstretched. "Why don't we start by you telling us how you know about Odette?"

Emma crossed her arms and frowned. "Yeah. Any why you have not broken her curse yet?" She could not help the edge in her tone.

The stranger seemed to notice because he turned his head to glare at Emma a bit. "I did not know she was _alive_ okay? I've been stuck in this town for years and she's been here the whole time!" He plopped down into a chair next to one of the unoccupied desks, dropping his forehead in his huge hands. "All this time, she's been here and I didn't know. She's been a bird for over 30 years!" He moved his face into his hands and moaned, a strange desperate sound.

Emma felt her heart soften and she spoke in a gentler tone than before. "Look, we are almost certain she is still alive but she might be hurt and in pain and we have to find her." She stepped closer to Derek. "I need you to tell us everything."

Derek tilted his face up a little so that his eyes came into view as he nodded, the action seemed to be very hard to do. Then he started to speak quietly, "okay. I came over with the first curse and it established me as a—", he flinched, "—sales representative of cheap, sub-par used properties in Storybrooke." He looked up and noticed Emma's raised eyebrows. "I know, I know. Not the most _princely_ of positions." There was a slight pause as he let out a big sigh. "Anyway, after the curse broke I looked for Odette but could not find her. I searched _everywhere_. I even went to Mr. Gold and tried to make a deal for a Tracking Spell but I did not have anything of hers to use. Finally I figured she had died in the Enchanted Forest and tried my hardest to live with that." He nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Afterwards, I quit cheating people by selling below-par housing and established myself as a construction worker, using my knowledge of the faults in the housing to correct them for all the inhabitants I cheated during the First Curse."

Emma was silent, reassessing her opinions of this prince after hearing his story. _It must be unimaginably painful_ , she decided, _to have lived in this cursed town for years knowing that your true love was dead._ Perhaps she had been too harsh on him.

As if sensing her thoughts, Derek looked up at her. "But you have found her?" he asked breathlessly. "She's alive?" He stood, his eyes the very essence of hope.

Emma sighed. "Yes but we…don't know where she is now. She avoiding us at the lake and we can't search for her during the day without tipping off—" she was about to say 'Rothbart' when her mother deliberately cleared her throat loudly, cutting her off. There was no need to tell the hot-headed young prince that the evil sorcerer who had cursed his true love was also here in Storybrooke. Emma picked up on the signal and adjusted her sentence, "— _anyone else_ about her. It uh…might be dangerous." Emma walked closer to Derek. "She might be afraid of me because I had to arrest her for 'Breaking and Entering' when we first met so is there anyone you can think of that she would go to for help? Any one that she would think might hide her?"

Derek shook his head forlornly. "Her father is dead and her kingdom was turned over to mine when she di—when she was presumed lost."

"I think I might know someone who can help."

Emma turned to her mother, surprised. "You do?"

Snow nodded, thinking hard. Remembering as best she could the adventure she had with the Swan Princess. "Besides myself, there were two others that met Odette and one of them could maybe even help track her!"

"That's great! Who?"

…

"Have a good night Rayne!"

"You too Maleena. I'll see you for the eclipse party in a few days!"

Rayne exited the Storybrooke Yoga Studio, satisfied with the day's activities which included trying the strange stretching art that they called yoga in this realm. So many unusual things in this world to try and taste, and only so long she could do it because she would be leaving back to the Enchanted Forest after seeing her first solar eclipse in a few days. The wolf had only recently returned to the Land Without Magic from her adventures in Arendelle with Elsa and Anna and in Oz with Mulan, Red, and Dorothy and had so many new things she wanted to try before realm traveling again.

Lost in these thoughts and disregarding everything else, Rayne failed to notice the dark swirls of magic that had collected at her ankles. A sharp blow to her legs pushed her onto her knees before she respond. She quickly bounded upward again in a defensive crouch, fists up and ready to fight, but saw and heard no one.

"Well, well," a puff of purple smoke and then a man appeared right next to her. Whipping around, she saw that the stranger was dressed a fine long black cape and a sorcerer-like outfit complete with high-boots and gold trimmings. "You are not something I would expect to find here," he shrugged, "Clearly a waste of time dealing with you but still—better safe than sorry."

"And you are about to become _very_ sorry!"

Rayne the Wolf shifted to her true form mid jump, hackles up to their fullest, teeth bared, and golden eyes flashing. She made a majestic leap towards the very surprised face of her attacker when yet another magical force pushed into her side, sending her crashing into a dumpster and crumpling into a furry heap at the feet of the woman who had just sent the magical force pulse. From there, her muscles froze with a magical bind and she could not move.

"I told you she reeks of both fairy and mermaid magic Father! One second later and I would not have prevented that!"

The sorcerer Rothbart was indignant that his own child should show him up. "Well how was I supposed to know that it has the magic of shifting? I thought we were going after a werewolf and it's not the full moon."

The second stranger rolled her eyes then looked down at the magical creature in question. "It's a _wolf_ Father! Not a human, a wolf that can change into a human," she sneered. "Strange magic indeed."

While fighting the freezing spell placed on her, Rayne saw the same grey eyes, the blonde hair, and the beautiful face of Odette, Princess of Schwansense—but her nose was not fooled.

 _"_ You are not Odette _,"_ she growled in a human tongue, "you do not smell like her _"._

"Right you are wolf-girl!" Odile answered, her voice a smooth, eely sound, "Which is why we cannot have you running around telling everyone." With a flick of her wrist, two small bottled magically puffed into her outstretched hand. Rayne's golden eyes flicked once to the articles before comprehending their purpose and widening with horror.

"Time to get rid of all of that good magic you have so unfairly come to poses," the woman known as the 'Black Swan' whispered. Uncorking both of the bottles, she watched as two separate swirls of magic gently lifted themselves off of the wolf and glide slowly into the glass vessels, one golden and the other blue. The freezing spell prevented the wolf from doing anything to stop it, save a few whimpers and growls of protests. By the time the process was over, the two vials were filled to the brim with mermaid and fairy magic and the poor wolf lay panting on the cold concrete sidewalk, stripped of all her magical gifts of shifting and speaking.

Odile smiled slyly at the two vessels in her hand as she corked both carefully, "Well that was fun!" There was a primordial roar as the wolf suddenly broke from the freezing spell and attempted to leap onto the witch but with one flick of her wrist and a puff of red smoke, the enraged creature was gone.

Rothbart was astonished against his will at the amazing magical reflexes of his daughter. "Where did you send that beast?"

Odile smirked, "Somewhere deep in the woods; where she cannot bother me." She carefully pocketed the purloined magic. "Now if you'll excuse me Father, I have a prince to find."

…

Wearily opening the door to his humble bachelor pad in downtown Storybrooke, Derek plopped the keys down in their usual place in a bowl on the hallway table and sighed heavily. It was the wee hours of the morning and he had spent the entire night alongside the sheriff and her—um, pirate husband looking for Odette, but with no luck. He shook his head. It was still weird to think that a pirate was the deputy. Hook had offered endless words of encouragement while the Savior had been a bit quieter; he suspected she was still mad at him for betraying Odette that night back in the Enchanted Forest.

He appreciated both their efforts immensely but a small part of him was seriously starting to suspect that Odette was no longer showing herself at the lake because she feared the Savior and getting locked up again. That was reasonable but that meant that their search grid would have to expand to all bodies of water within Storybrooke and that would take a lot longer. Needless to say, he was exhausted and sick with worry. But there was to be no rest for him, he would keep searching until he found Odette. After what he did to her in the Enchanted Forest, something he would never forgive himself for, he would keep searching until the end of time.

 _I'll go by the homeless shelter again,_ he thought resignedly. _If she went back there for food or shelter maybe we can…_

A small noise in the back of his apartment broke his musings and his head lifted, instantly alert. Years of princely training in the arts of sword and archery combat had gifted him with heightened reflex and instinctual reactions to such things so that his right hand flicked casually to the bat he always kept on hand near the front door. He gripped the handle, letting the makeshift weapon dangle next to his right leg and approached the closed bedroom door guardedly.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, Prince Derek was not known for his cautious nature; Derek the construction worker was no different in this world. He threw open the door, his weapon at the ready to bash in the head of the intruder.

"Derek STOP!"

The baseball bat dropped to the floor as he stood dumbfounded.

Odette was standing in the middle of his bedroom. She smiled up at him.

"Hello my love."

Derek did not hesitate, did not question anything, but leapt into the room and scooped the woman he loved off her feet, hugging her tightly and twirling her around and around until they were both dizzy. Then he gently put her down.

"I thought you were gone! I thought I would never see you again."

The woman he held smiled coyly, "I am here now my love."

Derek hugged her close, never wanting to let go. His arms noticed a change in her frame. "You're so thin! You need some nourishment other than pond fish," he started to turn them both towards the kitchen area. "I have some food, the cuisine from this realm is exceptionally—"

"Derek I cannot stay long."

He turned back to her, shocked. "What?! No, no I am never letting you out of my sight again."

She took his hands into her own small ones. "I am still cursed Derek. As soon as the sun rises and the moon leaves the lake, I'll be a swan again." She tightened her grip on him. "Listen carefully; I do not have a long time. To break this curse we must do something more than a vow."

"What is it? I'll do anything—"

"We must marry."

For some reason, Derek's shock factor went upwards. "What?!" It was the last thing he had expected from his somewhat-reserved Odette.

"It's the only way," she said breathlessly, "We must exchange vows, make an unbreakable bond, and then, only then, will I be free of this curse." She reached up and stroked the stubble on his right cheek. "Then you and I will be together…forever". She leaned in and roughly placed her mouth over his. Derek's own lips automatically responded but his heart did not flutter at all and his mind was screaming at him that something was wrong; that was when he knew—this was not Odette.

With the lightning fast reflexes of a prince with a lifetime of training, he twisted away.

"What are you doing!? Derek my love—"

"Do NOT call me that!" Derek shouted, "I know who you are and I know what you did!"

"My prince what are you talking about?"

As an answer, Derek lunged forward and pinned the woman against the wall, roughly shoving her by the shoulders then holding her down with all of his strength, not bothering to be gentle because she was of the opposite sex. "You think you could fool me again? You think after what you did that night I would not remember you?"

An instant transformation overcame the facial features of the woman. The face still carried Odette's features but the eyes became cruel, her smile cold and condescending, and her voice malicious. "Well well. I was hoping you were dumb enough to forget."

His anger increased and, despite years of being taught never to harm a woman, his hand went over her throat. "I will strangle the life out of you right here, right now! You are the reason for Odette to be cursed in this land!"

"Ah uh, my prince!" Her voice did no falter for an instant, she was not afraid of him at all. "I was hoping it would not come to this but, lucky for me, your beloved princess was brave and stupid enough to break into my father's house and I managed to 'borrow' something from her that might help you settle down and see it is me that you were always meant to marry and not that brat." Her smile slithered wider and, ducking her head slightly, she whispered a few words of magic while keeping her cold eyes on Derek's face.

The swan necklace around her neck glowed as a red wisp of smoke was released and vapor ascended into Derek's eyes. He briefly registered that it was some sort of magic, but it was too late. The red wisps had slipped into his eyes—the pupils dilated once then readjusted themselves—completely clouded over with magical blinders. He was now her puppet.

Odile smiled then wrapped her arms around his neck; there was no resistance from the big, handsome man she had coveted for so many years. "Now my pet, as I was saying we must be married." She purred, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "It was always me you were meant to be with, not that spoiled, beautiful, wretched wench of a princess."

Derek spoke, his voice caught with passion. "Yes of course, we will marry as soon as possible."

…

"What the _hell_ is going on!?"

It was late in the afternoon and the Charming family were all gathered in the Sheriff's station. Hook perched himself on the side of one of the desks while David and Snow were seated in miscellaneous chairs. Their daughter could not be convinced to take a seat as she paced the floor of the sheriff's station over and over; Emma was outraged and she let it show.

"Emma, calm down please," Snow White tried to rein in her daughter's wrath. They needed to think clearly and her anger was not helping.

"The hell I can!" Emma only paced faster. "First Rayne goes missing, then suddenly Odette just shows up at Derek's place, wants a wedding, and then disappears? I'm not buying it." There were various nods and sighs from her parents and her husband. They had all heard the news earlier that morning from Jiminy; he had called the sheriff's station and reported that Derek had come in, rather abruptly, to quickly apply for a marriage license. When Emma had questioned him further the town marriage official had told him all he knew, which unfortunately was not much. Apparently Derek had been visited by his true love in the night and she had convinced him that this was the only way to break her curse. That was why they were rushing the wedding.

"Look I do not pretend to understand all of this sheriff," he had spoken calmly over the phone. "But I know that you would want to know. I have every reason to believe that you will figure this whole thing out."

His faith in her abilities as the Savior and the Sheriff was touching but Emma was unnerved to the core. He had seemed oddly calm and nonchalant about all of it whereas Emma was a raging fury. She stopped, only to continue her pacing another second later. "I don't believe for _one_ second that the woman who was in Derek's apartment was really Odette. She is under a spell. Someone is forcing her to do this, or...something. Something is not right and I do not like it."

Hook spoke up. "That's the shrewd bails bond woman speaking Swan." He lifted his hook in a salute. "I am with you."

Emma allowed herself to pause and glance at her husband with a grateful smile. "Thank you Killian." She shook her head. "When I interrogated this woman a few days ago, she was terrified out of her mind and she had given up all hope. She did not know Derek was alive, let alone have gone to him and demanded a wedding—" she glanced up at her mother, "—it's this feeling I cannot shake. Something is not right here and we need to figure it out."

Snow frowned. "Do you think it's a trick from Rothbart?"

Hook spoke up. "After the barrage we gave that sorcerer I doubt very much he will have anything to do with the swan princess, if he knows what is good for him."

Emma shook her head. "It's not him; it does not feel like him."

"What do you mean Emma?" asked David.

"I cannot shake this feeling that we are missing something," Emma concluded as she fingered her own swan necklace, she had been doing that a lot lately. "This is too elaborate, too involved…it feels like—" she shrugged "—no never mind."

Her husband was instantly on his feet. "What is it love?"

"It feels like…when I was a bail bonds woman and someone was scheming against one of my marks. As a personal vendetta." Her eyes became distant as she recalled the incident. "I think…I think someone has a personal grudge against Odette and is setting her up for something…something bad."

Everyone was silent, contemplating such a grim thought. Finally David nodded. "Well what do you suggest?"

Emma sighed, frustrated. "My gut is telling me we need to flush out whoever is doing this, make sure that Odette is safe." She paused. "Damn I wish Rayne or Ruby was around to smell her out. Or if we had something of Odette's. It'd be nice to use a tracking spell and find her."

Snow nodded in agreement. "I know." She stared out the window of the sheriff's station. "It's not like Rayne to just take off like this."

"I'll swing by Granny's this afternoon and ask again if she came back to her room," offered David, "In the meantime, what are we going to do about this wedding?"

"Well, Regina said Derek applied for a license just this morning so…it will be tomorrow evening. The day of the solar eclipse."

"Tomorrow?" repeated Emma. "That fast?"

Snow nodded. "Jimminy said that caterers have already been contacted, everyone will be there."

"Actually, a wedding is a perfect cover."

Everyone turned to the Savior, completely and utterly confused.

"Sorry love, what did you just say?" asked Hook. "I thought you wanted to _stop_ the wedding."

"Think about it," Emma argued. "Whomever is doing this to Odette clearly wants a big show." Emma turned to Hook and explained, "If we can flush out who is doing this at the wedding, we can catch them red-handed and then help Odette and Derek break the spell."

Hook frowned. "It sounds risky love."

"I know, but it may be our only chance. Our _last_ chance."

…

Princess Odette of Schwanense peeled her pile of potatoes expertly, brushing away a strand of loose blonde hair that had escaped the light blue head wrap she now wore when working in the kitchen, leaving a smudge of dirt on her otherwise flawless face.

Dopey chuckled and wiped his own hand across his cheek then pointed to Odette's dirty cheek.

She laughed heartily. "You take a glance in the looking glass and we'll see who has the dirtier face." Dopey joined in her laughter and the two of them resumed work with vigor.

Odette had been working part-time at the food co-op for a few days now and, honestly, it was the happiest she had been since landing in this realm. For the first time in the 30-something years she had been a bird in Storybrooke she had friends, she had a job, a roof over her head, and a place to stay. For a pampered princess, she had taken remarkably well to the position of a kitchen maid; cleaning, cooking, serving late meals occasionally. All of this done in the night hours, when she was a human. Just as the first light of dawn was creeping over the edge of the town of Stroybrooke did she excuse herself and slip into a deserted alleyway, where she transformed and no one was the wiser.

The head of the kitchen had offered to extend her into the daytime shift with a generous salary. Odette politely refused every time; never revealing the exact reason why she could not be there during the day.

Dopey had been her constant companion during the first days she had begun her work: teaching her how to do kitchen tasks, using gestures to explain how the modern-day appliances work, and listening to her talk. While they were working Odette recalled hearing the head chef talk of an upcoming celebration earlier that evening for which they were preparing the food for now.

"Dopey, what is the coming celebration we are preparing for?" she asked while reaching for another potato.

Dopey paused in his peelings and lifted his hands; he pretended to slip a ring onto his left ring-finger. Then he swept his hands upward and over his face, as if lifting a bridal veil, and exaggerated a kiss with puckered lips and noises

"A wedding," Odette said, "How nice." She smiled sincerely. "And who is the lucky bride?"

Dopey tilted his head upward, and then flicked his index finger upward from the bottom of his nostrils.

"A very influential lady?" Odette concluded. "Well, lucky groom!"

Dopey nodded, but his face was troubled. There was something fishy about this wedding but he could not quite figure it out.

The clock struck 5 am and Odette finished the last of her work, wiping her hands on her apron before removing and hanging the article in its designated area. She glanced down at her skinny-style blue jeans, white v-neck shirt, and simple flats. The clothing of this realm was so unlike anything she had ever experienced but it was remarkably comfortable and she was glad Dopey had managed to find her something to wear other than those rags she had purloined. An odd thought entered her head, _I wish my father and Derek could see me now, working and earning my keep._ She paused, a little melancholy at the memory of her dead loved ones, before retrieving her thrift store-bought bag and waving good bye to Dopey as she exited the food co-op.

As Odette crossed the lighted street towards her designated transform-back-into-a-swan hideaway, a large automobile quickly rounded the corner. She swiftly stepped onto the sidewalk to avoid it and ducked into the alleyway. The vehicle that slid to a stop in front of the Storybrooke Animal Shelter had the words "Animal Control" splayed onto its sides; she did not like the sound of that phrase and ducked further into the alley. From the cab a number of men in reflective uniforms jumped out and started to unlatch the backdoors. Odette heard the enraged growls and thrashings of a caged animal from inside. Something big and something very angry.

"Get a rope on it!" yelled one of the men.

Odette watched, horrified, as the three large men with poles and nets wrestled a muzzled and chained creature from the truck towards the back entrance of the Animal Shelter. The animal fought and strained every inch of the way, but to no avail. It was forced into the backdoors where they shut with a resounding boom.

Odette could only stare. "Rayne?" she whispered.

Inside the animal shelter, Dr. Ameyew was forced to tranquilize the wolf and place it in an isolated holding cell in the shelter's dog run. At this point everyone was saying the creature was mad and encouraged him to put the crazy thing down, but the good doctor knew that wolves in this town were not to be underestimated and intended to wait until he could make some inquiries. While he stepped into his office, the holding area was quiet.

The wolf's heavy eyelids were having trouble focusing but she managed to slide them open a crack. She was lying on her side in a small concrete cell, muzzled and collared, and clearly locked in. Wishing to give into the overwhelming darkness temporarily, she slowly started to slip into slumber until something else came into her blurred vision: a woman now knelt next to her cell.

"Rayne," whispered Odette. "Rayne can you hear me?"

The wolf whined a soft, confirmation note then closed her eyes again. All she wanted to do was sleep.

"Come on Rayne, wake up" Odette said urgently. She glanced towards the office where the man had his back turned to her and seemed to be occupied with one of those 'talking phone' devices that people in this realm used to communicate with one another. The keys to the dog runs were hanging from a hook right next to the office doorway, but there was also a large window where he would easily be able to see her.

Tiptoeing over and doing her best to be sneaky, Odette quietly and delicately took they keys, keeping her eyes on the man just on the other side of the doorway, ready to bolt if he should turn around and see her. He did not turn around which gave her the opportunity she needed. Quickly unlocking the cage, Odette knelt next to the semi-conscious animal and started to stroke her head.

"Rayne please wake up," she pleaded. "Oh my gods, what did those monsters do to you?"

The wolf tried to respond, raising her head slightly only to drop it exhaustedly on the floor.

As Odette was still pleading, she felt the feathers start to sprout on her fingers. _Shit! The sun is coming up._ Working as a kitchen maid, she had become somewhat familiar with the crasser of this world's vernacular. Her whispers became more urgent. "Damn it Rayne I do not have a lot of time," she leaned closer and picked up the wolf, hoisting the animal to lean heavily onto her hips and forced it to start walking towards the exit, "But you have to come with me. Now GET UP!"

Dr. Ameyew concluded leaving a message on the town hall voicemail then come back into the dog run area to check on the wolf. His dark eyes widened in disbelief. The cell was open and empty and the back exit door was opened.

In the alleyway, a white swan was pecking at the muzzle around a wolf's face. The canid protested to the treatment with mellow growls but finally the article came off. The long, pink tongue of the wolf enveloped the feathery face of the swan in gratitude.

 _Okay okay! That's enough._ Odette protested good-naturedly, smiling as a swan does with an upturned beak, _I realize you are grateful._

Rayne snorted and pawed at her snout, still trying to scratch off that horrible feeling of a muzzle on her face. _You have no idea._

At the sound of a garbage truck pulling dangerously close to the alleyway they were hiding in, the swan waddled a bit to the side of a trash bin for cover. _What are_ you _doing here?_ she asked, _How did that happen to you?_

 _It's a long story but Odette, you're in danger._

The swan hissed. _If you are referring to Rothbart do not bother_ —her black swan eyes became sorrowful— _he has already done his worst to me._

The wolf shook her furry head. _No, I am not talking about him. This is someone else, someone far more dangerous than Rothbart and, Odette_ — _she is after you._

…


	8. A White Swan Wedding

**Chapter 8: A White Swan Wedding**

 _Present day: Storybrooke_

The wedding was taking place in the back courtyard of Town Hall, a venue only the wealthiest and most influential could afford in the town of Storybrooke. Musicians were tuning their stringed instruments, weddings aides were scurrying about setting up the final chairs, the caterers had set up the tables to parallel the building, and a bridal archway had been constructed at the end of the make-shift walkway complete with rose petals and a red velvet carpet.

It was all very lovely to look at but there had been many whispers about how hastily this event had been put together, how little time but much money was being utilized, and the mysteriousness of the rather-extensive weddings invitations. The listed guests included practically everyone in town.

And the Charming family would not miss a second of it.

Hook, Snow, and David all assembled around Emma at the Sheriff station, poised to receive orders on how to proceed. Baby Neal was being watched by a very-willing Granny and Regina was on call at the Mayor's office should any magical assistance be needed.

"Let's not be noticeable," Emma was saying as she handed out the police walkies. The cell phone coverage in the technology-backwards town Storybrooke was not reliable enough for her. "We do not want to tip off whoever it is that is orchestrating all of this." She tucked her own radio into her belt, making sure her trusty Glock was there as well, before firmly pulling her jacket into place. "Mom, Dad I need you both on the south end. Hook and I will cover the north near the Town Hall. If anything dangerous goes down, you should be prepared to evacuate everyone inside the building and away from harm."

David looked concerned. "Do you think we should expect a chaotic scene?"

Emma glanced at him, her eyes serious. "I hope it does not come to that. But just in case, I want everyone to be ready to evacuate at a second's notice."

Snow hoisted her quiver onto her shoulders and took up her bow in her right hand, expertly testing its pull by giving slight pressure to the string. Meanwhile, David had strapped his sword belt on and slid his weapon into the scabbard. Emma smiled at her parents and their fairytale weapons of choice. _Only in a town like Storybrooke_ , she thought amusingly.

She continued with the debriefing. "We need to keep an eye on Odette. She is the one this whole thing is centered around so if anything happens, it will be focused on her." Her parents and her husband nodded in comprehension. "If anything suspicious is happening, send out a call on the radios. Even if it is just the fairies making sparkling figures in the sky like last month, report it. I already called Regina and she will be on stand-by if the town needs magical protection."

"Well I'm ready love," Hook said as he strapped his own sword to his waist. Despite the ability to carry his own modern-day firearm as a deputy, the pirate always preferred his trusty sea sword, one of the many things Emma loved about him.

"Let's go then."

Everyone walked determinedly out the front doors of the station towards the parking lot. Emma and Hook slid into her yellow bug while David and Snow took the sheriff's station wagon. Just before pulling out of the parking spaces, Emma's parents glanced over towards their daughter, each have that slight apprehension of her safety but knowing deep down that she was more than capable. The feeling every parent has towards their own children when going on an adventure.

"Good luck Emma," David called out from the driver's side.

She leaned over to see him past Hook's head. "You too Dad!"

…

The wedding was schedule for noon, the brightest part of the day, and also the hottest according to some of the grumbling caterers. While the Charmings and Hook had assembled in the sheriff's station, the entire contingents of the local caterers, food co-op employees, and various other workers had made the pilgrimage to the backend of the Storybrooke Town Hall with vans full of tables, chairs, tents, and the typical bric-a-brac associated with weddings. By ten everything was set up and waiting for guests. When Emma and Hook pulled up in her bug at 11:30 there were already a few groups of people mingling and moving among the buffet and wedding arches.

As the sheriff, Emma knew that she and her group would not allay too much suspicion since this was a public affair and the setting was the Town Hall but she elected to stay as inconspicuous as possible. She strolled amongst the crowd, her trusty Glock tucked out of sight under her red leather jacket, and her eyes scanning the mingling people.

"Anything yet?" an accented voice muttered from behind. Emma turned to see Hook standing behind her. She cracked a small grin. "No, but the ceremony does not start until noon." Hook nodded in acknowledgement. "What about you?"

He shook his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I asked the cricket to keep an eye out for trouble before he performs the vows, but the whole town is here. It's a lot of ground to cover."

Emma sighed. "I know, I know." She squeezed his right hand in her own and tried to smile. "I really hope this hunch of mine is right."

Hook stepped towards her and wound his arm into her own. "Well your instincts have not been wrong in the past love. I'd wager the _Jolly Roger_ herself on them anytime."

This time, Emma broke into a genuine smile, recalling the time that Hook had indeed traded his ship for her well-being, to bring her home to Storybrooke. "Thanks," she whispered. Her pirate always knew what to say to bring her hopes up.

By 11:50, the wedding party was dying down and settling into final places. Kids that had been running around in an elaborate game of tag that involved dodging in and out of the lawn chairs were settled into said chairs at the insistence of their parents. A stringed quartet had set itself up near the bridal gazebo and was warming up their strings, ready to play the famous bridal march when the clock struck noon. Guests were sitting down, their conversations now muted. But as Emma and Hook made their way around the area, the feeling of apprehension in the Savior's stomach intensified. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Had she been wrong? Did the person who was after Odette not intend to strike at the wedding?

Lost in thought, Emma barely registered Hook's sudden grab of her right forearm and intense squeeze.

"Swan!" His face was serious as it gazed towards the seated crowds.

Emma was instantly alert and her hand strayed casually towards her Glock. "What is it?"

"Look," he nodded his head towards the backend of the final lines of white lawn chairs.

Emma looked in the direction he was indicated with his eyes where a distinguished-looking gentleman in an expensive suit had just seated himself. Other onlookers barely gave the man a glance, he was one amongst many attending the wedding, but the sight of the cold, hard eyes of the sorcerer Rothbart sent a flash of fury through Emma's spine.

"What is _he_ doing here!?" she growled. "I specifically told him to _stay away_ from Odette." She started forward, determined to grab the guy and haul his ass to jail. On what charges she did not know yet, but hell, she would think of something!

"Swan no!" Hook grabbed her arm again. "We cannot cause a scene here."

"But he's…"

"As far as anyone else is concerned, he is another guest at this…rather extensive wedding, and he has not done anything to warrant such treatment as being arrested from the sheriff," he said to her under his breath, "We need to wait to make our move." It was just like his Swan to want action first, then think later but the cool-headed pirate would have none of that. Not only as the deputy but as her husband. It would needlessly endanger her life and he was not about to let that happen.

But all of the waiting had made Emma grown impatient and even a little bit reckless. "At the very least, I should escort him out of here." She surveyed the crowd, her dread tripling at the sheer number of people that might be hurt if a magical show-down between her and the sorcerer were to take place. "Him being here can only mean that—"

Suddenly the stringed quartet had broken into song, the famous wedding march soared in volume, and the entire assembly stood in unison. From their position in the back, the sheriff and the deputy could see the whole of the wedding party turn in unison to glance in their direction. They were surprised and a bit startled because it appeared that everyone was looking right at them. Hot prickles of anxiety tingled under Emma's skin before she realized that they were not watching her and Hook; she also turned her head and watched a couple emerge from the back doors of the Storybrooke Town Hall.

Prince Derek of Chamberg and a woman who appeared to be Princess Odette of Schawnense emerged from the open doors, arm in arm, gracefully descending the steps onto the lawn and its red velvet carpet studded with rose petals. A collective sigh went up through the audience; no one had seen a lovelier couple. The princess so beautiful in her white gown fringed with golden lace and the prince in a smart tux with golden trimmings. Emma and Hook stepped aside to allow the couple to pass. As the wedding couple passed, the bride turned her head and Emma caught a flash of intense hatred and loathing in those cold grey eyes. She was so shocked she froze, her mouth slightly ajar; a very intense second later, the couple was heading down the aisle.

"You alright there Swan?" asked Hook, looking expectantly at her.

"Sorry, yes," she whispered, shaking off her inhibitions. "Let's get a little closer."

The sheriff and the deputy walked towards the outside of the rows of chairs, just out of the peripheral view of the couple making their way slowly up the aisle. The sheriff fought the urge to demand this whole farce cease and demand what was going on. She was interrupted in her irritated musings by her husband.

"Swan," Hook whispered next to here. "Something is up over on the lake."

Emma turned in the direction her husband was looking and immediately sucked in her breath in a small gasp. "What the hell is that?"

At first she thought it was yet another Dark Curse heading over the town but then the sound effects coming with the approaching airborne mass corrected her. It was a flock of birds, a variety of species of smaller birds to be specific, with a large white mass flying in front of them. Whatever this avian group was, they were heading straight towards the wedding party. The bird in lead seemed to be making loud honking noises, determined to drown out the wedding march melody.

Hook was just as surprised as she was. "Should we do something?"

She gripped her husband's hand and almost smiled, she felt like she knew what was going to happen. "No, just brace yourself."

The romantic wedding proceedings suddenly turned to pure chaos…

A group of blue birds dove right into the wedding arch, forcing the bride to duck least she lost her head, and then circled right around again to continue to bombard her. Sparrows and robins swooped in and out amongst the shouting, panicking the wedding guests; out of the bordering trees swarms of dogs suddenly emerged, being led by a larger white furry beast. The creatures scurried between and over people's ankles, and, as if on command, the dogs started tearing apart the wedding banquet at their leisure. Snow and David were herding people away and into the Town Hall when a particularly piercing scream came from the bridal arch. Emma looked up to see the white bird leading the flying flock of animal wedding-crashers to swoop out of the general chaos, and charge right into the bride.

She was not surprised at all to see that it was a white swan.

There was a shimmer of magic and an instant change to the woman standing underneath the bridal arch. Odile Bart had dropped her guise; in that moment everyone could see that she was not Odette, her disguise simply faded away as her magic became concentrated on staying out of the way of the charging animal. The unsymmetrical face, the drooping lips, and the large blotch down the side of her cheek were now completely visible. She was now a screaming fury, unleashing balls of magic wildly and trying to obliterate the attacking bluebirds. The swan circled around and flew right into her face, honking as loudly as it possibly could. Odile put up her hands in an effort to keep the snapping beak away from her face but it was a losing battle.

"My love I'm coming!" Derek was shouting as he tried to bat away the blue birds with his own fists. Snow and David ran up to try and stop him, and it was then that Snow recognized the red haze of the magical blinders in the prince's eyes.

"David!" she grabbed her husband's arm. "Look!"

She pointed to the necklace dangling from Odile's neck; it had a faint magical red glow to it that matched the light reflecting out of Derek's eyes. David understood instantly.

"Emma!" David shouted into the walkie. "Get that necklace off of her! She's controlling Derek with it!"

Hook heard the command as well and leapt into action, drawing his sword he started to round towards Odile when Derek moved before the pirate could react. He crouched and drove his shoulder into the pirate, knocking him down. With Hook out of the way, he pulled his own sword from beneath his wedding tux and stalked towards Emma. She quickly reached over and helped her husband to his feet.

"How dare you threaten my bride!" he shouted, his rage fueled by the magic from Odile's spell. He pointed his sword at Emma and Hook's faces. "You started this! Somehow you did this!"

Hook raised his own pirate scimitar. "You don't want to do this mate," he shouted. "She has you under a spell."

Derek either did not hear or did not care, he let out a guttural shout and charged Hook; at that point the pirate needed all of his concentration just to stay alive. Derek lunged again, Hook knocked it aside but Derek easily twirled his blade below, ducking underneath Hook's sword to jab him in the shoulder. Hook growled and started to not hold back his parries as much. The two men engaged in a series of sword pars and attacks, neither one gaining much advantage. David drew his own sword and was about to join in when Emma grabbed his arm.

"No, I need you to get everyone out of here and away from harm," Emma looked intently into his eyes. "I think we might have that magical showdown after all."

David glanced up and saw that she was right; there were still too many people in harm's way and as co-sheriff he needed to insure their safety. He replaced his sword and started to assist with herding everyone away from the wedding party, into Town Hall for safety.

While Hook was sparing with Derek, and her husband was taking care of the crowd, Snow had positioned herself onto small rise and was aiming her arrow right at Odile. She had no intention of killing the woman, but every time the sorceress raised her arm to let another magical ball fly the necklace chain was lifted enough to allow for a clean shot to sever it. It would be a million-to-one shot that Robin Hood himself would be proud of, but Snow was aware of her skills and knew she could do it. The only problem was that every time she thought she had a shot, the swan's wings or long white neck got in the way and Snow was not about to shoot her friend. Odile held the creature by its long neck, struggling to redirect the snapping black beak away from her own throat. The huge, 8-feet long white wings beat a torrent around the struggling couple and feathers and debris flew everywhere. Finally, the swan hooked its black beak onto the silver chain of the necklace, pulling it taunt in its dire efforts to yank the thing off.

Snow saw her chance and drew back. _Hold it right there,_ she thought confidently. Smooth as silk, with every confidence of her shot, she allowed her fingers to withdraw their hold on the string.

And then she froze…the arrow freezing with her before it even left the bow.

Rothbart had raised his hand and directed a freezing spell right onto Snow, his face the very picture of intense fury.

Emma saw immediately what he did to her mother and exploded with rage. "You let her go, right now!" She rounded on Rothbart, her gun drawn.

He simply laughed. "You think that puny thing can stop me little girl?"

Emma cocked her head, and smirked. "Maybe not"—she holstered her weapon—"but _this_ can." She thrust her right hand forward, calling the magic to her as effortlessly as if she was throwing a ball, and was immensely satisfied to see the conceded bastard fall head-over-heels onto the grass lawn from the huge blast of white magic she had just given him.

The swan and the bride were still struggling underneath the bridal cover. The bird was now using her black feet to desperately kick herself out of the choking hold of the mad woman. A feral roar resounded from behind the bride's enormous white dress, and a small wolf with furious golden eyes charged into the two struggling creatures. Rayne opened her pink mouth wide and snapped her jaws over the buttocks sections of the puffy wedding dress. The sheer volume of the article was what probably saved the woman's life; the wolf's bite force was not enough to rip out a chuck of flesh but it was enough for an intense, painful shock to be delivered which caused her to screech her loudest yet and release the swan's neck. Just as the bird got her neck free she gave one final yank and the chain holding the necklace finally snapped; the swan pendant gleamed in the sun as it made a graceful arch in the air before landing on the ground at the feet of Emma.

A thin, wisp of red-colored air slithered from the pendant and Emma caught the scent of something acrid and horrible before it evaporated into the air.

"What the..? What is going on here?"

Emma turned and saw that Derek had stopped mid-par with Hook. He was now standing, holding his head and shaking it as if shaking off a dream he had been having. His dark brown eyes were completely dazed, his vision no longer red with fury, and his sword was lowered.

Hook immediately understood and came forward, his hand now extended in friendship. "You were under a spell mate. Just take a moment."

"A spell?" stammered Derek, apparently very confused and not having a single clue as to what had just happened between him and the pirate, "but how…" Then he saw the white swan underneath the bridal cover. "Odette?" His sword clattered as he dropped it on the pavement.

The bird gave a squawk that sounded delighted and flapped her wings excitedly. Emma could almost hear her saying _Yes! Yes it's me Derek._ The moment was the very essence of romance as the two lovers started to make their way towards one another; it did not matter that one was a bird and the other was about the marry someone else. They were not going to let anyone or anything stand in their way of rushing into each other's arms and wings.

Unfortunately, someone else had other plans.

"Stupid prince," Rothbart muttered. He had recovered from Emma's initial blow and was now standing up, watching the exchange. "You will _not_ have her." He raised a hand and directed it towards Snow, still standing frozen with an arrow about to be released from her bow.

She felt her muscles unfreeze and then her eyes focused on where her arrow was now aimed at… Derek's heart!

"No!" she shouted desperately, for she could not stop the arrow from flying.

Time seemed to slow as the entire party watched as the arrow burst forward, spinning gracefully towards Derek's unprotected chest. He had turned at Snow's shout but was not fast enough to react to a flying arrow; just when it seemed he would be pierced, a blur swiftly bounded in front of him, taking the full force of the arrow in the torso.

The white swan crashed to the ground, an arrow sticking straight out of her chest.

Emma was so shocked she could not breath for a second, she could not believe her eyes and she could not think of what to do. There was her friend, shot by her mother, and she could not do a damn thing about it.

"Odette!" Derek screamed, leaning over the wounded bird and taking its wings in his hands. "No no no no no! Please no!"

"Father!" Odile shrieked. "You were trying to kill him!"

Rothbart rounded towards his daughter. "Of course I was you stupid girl! And now look what you made me do…I never meant to hurt—" he was looking desperately down at the wounded bird.

"You are pathetic! You and your worthless spells that you learned out of an old book; unlike me who was born with _real_ magic," Odile was ranting, "I was finally going to get my happy ending, what I have always wanted, and you…you…ruined it! Just like you ruin everything!"

She brought up her hands in a slashing motion, the bow still clutched in Snow's hands suddenly flew over their heads and careened into the middle of the town lake; there was a puff of red smoke and suddenly Odile was gone. Rothbart gave one last string of grating curses and likewise disappeared in a puff of maroon smoke.

The wedding arch was now silent, all of the guests had been evacuated leaving only the Charmings, Hook, and Rayne standing around Derek and Odette; the prince was leaning over the swan weeping.

Emma was the first to react. She quickly knelt down next to Derek, her hands cupped over the wounded bird in an attempt to use her magic to heal the princess. She felt the warmth of her magic coming out and a soft white glow emanated from her hands over the bird but nothing was happening.

Derek watched intently. "Why isn't it working?" he demanded. "WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?"

Emma struggled so hard that sweat started to trickle down her forehead. This was not the first time her magic had not been easy to control and she would be damned if it let her beat her this time. She had struggled to heal Ella once but had somehow overcome it then. But apparently something was not allowing it for the glowing faded from her hands and she panted with the exhaustion of using her magic; the swan was still injured. "I'm…I'm so sorry," she managed to gasp out, it was all she could accomplish through her fatigue.

Snow came forward gently, ever the voice of reason as she crouched next to Derek. "We need to get her to the hospital." He nodded and took off his tuxedo jacket, wrapping it around the wounded bird ever so carefully. Hook stepped forward and helped him to gently lift the injured bird, both being careful not to touch the arrow. Together they made their way to the parking lot and laid her in the back of the sheriff station wagon.

"The vet clinic is closer," Emma said as she strapped into her seat belt. "We're going there now!"

Ten minutes later, the entire Charming family plus Derek and Rayne, was waiting in the lobby of the Storybrooke Animal Shelter. Rayne stalked the lobby floors, growling restlessly and refusing to be touched by anyone. Derek simply sat as if in shock, staring at nothing.

"I was about to marry that _monster_ ," he finally croaked out.

Emma glanced over at him. "Hey, you were under a spell and the whole shape-shifting thing kind of threw us all off."

"But I should have _known…_ she has done this before…why has she always wanted _me_ " he was interrupted by the footsteps of Dr. Ameyew resounding. Everyone rose to their feet and came forward.

"Well?" Derek asked.

Dr. Amyew face was tight. "I'm sorry Your Highness, but it is not good. It would kill her to remove the arrow." Derek gulped and his hand clamped over his mouth. "If she were a human she would stand more of a chance but—," he did not need to finish.

Emma was grave. "She won't turn human unless the moon is up." She glanced outside at the shining afternoon-time sun. "That won't be for a few hours."

The doctor shook his head. "She won't make it that long." He came forward and spoke quietly to Derek. "I'm so sorry."

Derek shook his head. His eyes were filling with unshed tears as he glanced up at the doctor. "May I see her?"

The kind man nodded his head. "Of course."

Derek disappeared in the back, the veterinarian following closely at his heels.

Emma sank back into a chair in the waiting room, overwhelmed by all of this. This could not be it. She would not let good lose like this. It was her job, dammit, to ensure that others got their happy endings. And this was the freakin' _Swan Princess_! If anyone deserved a happy ending it was Princess Odette.

She felt a light hand on her shoulder and looked over to see her mother sitting next to her, gently stroking her comfortably. "Hey, you did all that you could."

Emma could have snorted but she did not, out of respect for her mother. "I wish that had been enough, but it wasn't." She rubbed her face with both hands in frustration. "Now what do we do? I have two super-villains on the loose, a dying swan, and a prince who is about to lose his True Love, again." She could have sworn. "What am I supposed to do now? I'm the Savior…I have to save them."

"Well one thing you could do, you could stop that whining. It's pathetic."

A voice resounded from the entrance of the veterinarian hospital as the glass door swung open and Rothbart entered, his black cloak billowing around him and his dark, leather boots resounding. The civilian clothes he had worn at the weeding seemed a very distant memory as they took in his sorcerers outfit.

Instantly, the Heroes were all on their feet, Emma with her Glock aimed, Hook and David pulled out their swords, and Snow stepped protectively in front of the entrance to the back of the Animal Shelter. Rayne snarled and almost hurled herself at the evil sorcerer before Snow threw her arm around her neck and stopped her.

"Very smart princess," Rothbart sneered. "Would not want me dead before you hear what I have to say."

"Then make it fast or it will be very painful for you," Emma snapped. "You tried to murder Odette!"

At those words, the hard-lines of the sorcerers face seemed to soften, if only for an instant, then they resume their hard, cold stare at the Savior. "I had no intention of hurting the princess," he growled. "I was merely trying to kill that stupid prince, not her!"

Emma cocked her head. "Why do you care? Wasn't the whole point of this wedding sham you and your daughter came up with to ruin her life?"

Rothbart stalked onto the Savior until Hook grabbed his arm. "I would not get any closer if I were you mate!" he said loudly.

Rothbart looked straight into Emma's eyes. "I did _not_ want to kill Odette. How could I when I—" he shook his head as if clearly his thoughts, "—never mind that!"

But Snow had caught it, and it shocked her to no end. "My gods, you're in _love_ with her?!"

The sorcerer rounded on Snow, raising a hand as if to deal her a magical blow, but stopped at the sight of Hook, David, and Emma and their weapons. He did not answer but glared at Snow and her incredulous face. Then, he spoke, addressing all of them. "The swan curse I placed on Odette cannot be lifted with True Love's Kiss nor by the Savior's magic. My daughter's…involvement, that night at the castle when your friend's curse was fully enacted made sure of that." He turned towards Emma. "If you want to save her you're going to need my help."

"Oh yeah?" Emma cocked her head, not believing a word he said.

"Yes, _yeah!_ " Rothbart sneered, "Honestly the vernacular of commoners in this disgusting world!"

"Just make your point," Emma demanded impatiently.

"My point! My point is that firstly you need me to make this work and secondly, we need a special ingredient to lift the curse once just long enough for… _True Love's Kiss_ to work," he spat out. The words seemed to make acid build in his mouth for his expression was one of utmost contempt.

"And what is this _special ingredient_?" David probed severely. "What are you asking us to do?"

Instead of answering right away, Rothbart turned towards Snow and Rayne, looking straight at the princess and the wolf. Snow glared right at him as the white wolf snarled loudly.

"Why you two, my darlings. You were both there that night at the ball so you both saw the princess before the curse was fully enacted. You and a certain…mermaid."

…

 _Sorry this took much longer, it was a very intense chapter! What did you think?_


	9. A Mermaid, a Wolf, and a Swan

**Chapter 9:** **A Mermaid, a Wolf, and a Swan**

 _Present day: Storybrooke_

…

"This is a bad idea."

Hook huffed out his sentiment between rowing the boat and steering further and further out into the sea. From where they were, Storybrooke Harbor now appeared to be nothing more than a miniature coast town in the distance, the _Jolly Roger_ a small toy boat, and the safety of the docks long gone.

Rayne grunted as if in disagreement and continued to lean over the side of the boat, her white guard hairs up to their max and dotted with sea spray as she scanned the water's surface.

Snow reached over and stroked her furry head. "Calm down, we'll find her," she said gently, "and remember you're the only one who can talk to her. Convince her to help."

"Talk to whom exactly?" Hook paused in his rowing to catch a breath. "Look I trust my mother—" Snow gave him a raised eyebrow and he quickly corrected himself "— _in-law_ with my life but you're going to have to give me more than we are looking for a mermaid. Which, _by the way,_ I still think is a _very_ bad idea." Despite his obvious doubts, he shook his head and resumed his rowing with vigor.

Snow looked intently at her son-in-law. "That sorcerer said that in order to lift Odette's curse we need those who had seen her before the night Derek made his vow to the wrong woman, who knew her before she became fully-cursed to live her life as a swan. And the only ones that fit that description are either in this boat, or—" she gestured to the wide expanse of the ocean "—out here somewhere." She stroked Rayne's wet ears again. "This is the only chance we have of saving Odette and lifting her curse forever. We need to find Waverly."

Hook nodded his head in acknowledgement and continued to row. "Right…a mermaid that you have not seen in over thirty years—" he grunted as the oars went down "—who does not have a voice—" he gasped as the oars went up "—and who might not be willing to help at all."

At his last statement, Rayne turned her head, laid down her ears, and snarled straight at the pirate. She had a long history with mermaids and easily took offense when something ill was said of them.

"Apologies love," Hook quickly said, "I meant no offense to your…scaly friend." He laid down the oars, panting for breath. Rowing with only one hand and a hook was no easy task. "This should be far enough."

Snow glanced around; the rowboat bobbed up and down in a restless sea that seemed no different than any other portion of the ocean front that was off the coast of Storybrooke. _Are you sure this is a good spot?_ She was about to voice her doubts but then saw that Hook was already reaching for the conch shell he had under his jacket. He had opted for his old Enchanted Forest attire of long, leather pirate jacket and thick boots for this occasion because, according to him, the weather on the open sea was fickle and changed easily. Snow shivered in her thin white sweater and realized he was right; it had been warmer when they left the shoreline and now she was ill-prepared for the cold sea breeze that was enveloping the entire boat.

Her son-in-law noticed her distress and quickly set down the shell as he unwound his thick coat off. "Here," he held it out to Snow.

Snow was taken aback by this very gentlemanly gesture. "Really?"

"Of course. What would I tell Emma if she knew her mother was freezing out here?" He did his signature pirate smirk and wink as Snow smiled gratefully at him, wrapping the heavy black article around herself. It was miles too big for her but it was certainly warm. Her son-in-law was always doing and saying things like that, Snow was sure of it. _One of the many reasons my daughter loves him,_ she thought with a smile.

Hook took a deep breath, let it out at a steady pace, and then placed the conch to his lips and gave a mighty blow, puffing his cheeks up to their maximum. A melodic resonance spread from their tiny rowboat across the sea, causing an eruption of ripples on its surface and echoing loud and clear as it called to a specific species.

They waited a few minutes; nothing. The sea remained as calm and steady as it was before, the rowboat dipping up and down gently, and its passengers gazing about expectedly.

"Are you sure that thing works?" Snow could not help but ask.

Hook gave her a look. "I've been sailing the seas for hundreds of years, I know my mermaid magic."

The wolf snorted as if expressing doubts at this statement and raised herself up so as to peer over the sides of the boat, her golden eyes narrowed and her black snout quivering as she took in the scents of the sea. At the sight of a large mass of multi-colored scaley bodies underneath the boat, her hackles stiffened and she stepped backwards into the boat, growling loudly. Despite her long history of interacting with mermaids she knew the dangers of meeting strange ones in their territory and was instantly on her guard.

"What is it?" Snow asked her, briefly forgetting the wolf now lacked the magic to speak.

It was Hook that answered. "They're here."

Snow glanced around and was shocked to her core; the rowboat was surrounded by a floating multitude of mermaids, their animalistic yellow eyes glowing with a feral look and their wet hair cascading down their bare backs into the sea. Despite coming from the Enchanted Forest and being friends with Ariel, Snow had never seen so many mermaids all at once. Even that time that she, Emma, Charming, Hook and Regina were on the Jolly Roger sailing to Neverland she had not seen the mermaids quite like she could see them now. There were at least fifty of them and it unnerved her to the core; she knew what they were capable of if angered or hungry. Worse, she did not see a single familiar face amongst the mermaids surrounding the boat. It was a floating mass of strangers and apex predators.

Ever the princess diplomat, she tried to speak with a clear voice. "Hello there. We are looking for a mermaid friend of ours, name of Waverly." She glanced around the boat, hoping for a response. "We were hoping you could help?"

Instead of answering, the fish-women surrounding the boat simply smirked.

Hook tried as well. "Ladies, rest assured the only reason we would call you directly to us is not to be invited to dinner, but rather a life hangs on the balance. A woman in a half-state of existence, similar to yours. She will surely perish if we do not help her and we need one of your sisters desperately to save her life. "

"Well isn't that a _lovely_ story," came an eely voice.

A blonde mermaid had swum forward, using the sides of the boat to raise herself up to Hook and Snow's eye level. The vessel rocked precariously, adding more edginess to the already tense situation. She leaned forward and Snow saw the gills on the sides of her neck seal, while her mouth opened and took in air to speak. She was not surprised; Ariel had explained to her how mermaids had the ability to breathe both air and water, but it seemed creepy in this situation. The strange mermaid spoke again, "A heartbreak indeed, and it is not one I have heard before, so I give you tasty morsels credit for that."

Snow gulped, this was getting out of hand. Things were fast going from bad to worse for them. "We need your help. Please, this woman could die unless we find Waverly."

The pod's alpha female giggled in a cruel, high-noted pitch. "You stupid humans think mermaids are _helpful_? That we are friendly, fat creatures of the sea like dolphins or porpoises or seals? " The entire assemblage of mermaids surrounding them either hissed or giggled in agreement; they were edging closer and they clearly were not happy. The blonde raised herself up even further, leveling her head above Hook's. "Don't you think I know who you are… _Captain Hook_? I have heard _so_ much about you from others." She began to finger the collar of his undershirt, a soft sensual movement that caused Hook to lean back and stiffen with a frown. "A captain off of his ship is a rare occurrence so I will not deny my pod such a treat, especially when it wanders so willingly into our territory and has the impudence to call us using our own magic."

She was about to bear down on Hook when Rayne raised herself to the fullest, snarling and snapping her teeth. The wolf shoved her furry head into the alpha female's face; the mermaid shrieked and skidded off the side of the boat while the rest of the pod gave various noises of surprise. The wolf continued to roar at the mermaids, even as the entire pod retreated and eyed the furry creature with contempt.

"What in the name of Ursula is that!" shrieked another mermaid as spines rose on her back. The spines of a mermaid, ordinarily hidden in the smooth skin of her back, only rose for two reasons: fear or anger.

Rayne's golden eyes narrowed and she gave a few guttural whines that caused the alpha female to back off even further. "What did you just say?" she snapped at the wolf. "How do you know such things?"

The wolf responded with a high-pitched snarl which caused the mermaid to frown; clearly the two creatures were having a conversation but Hook and Snow were completely in the dark about what was being said. Snow could only hope that Rayne did not give into her tendency to be brutally honest and somewhat undiplomatic. The wolf was edging closer and closer to the brink of the rowboat so Snow reached over and gently tried to pull her back.

The wolf shook off her attempts and leaned over the boat further still, placing her muzzle just in front of the mermaid's face and showing her teeth. There was a tense moment as both creatures eyed each other up and down before the mermaid finally looked away. "As a matter of fact…yes!" Without another word, the fish-woman ducked her head and dove out of sight into the darkened sea. The rest of the pod followed suit, some of them scowling and hissing heavily as they left. They clearly did not agree with whatever decision their leader had just been made.

Snow and Hook were utterly at a lost for what just happened; how on earth had the wolf managed to convince the mermaids to help? "What is going on Rayne?" Snow asked. She knew she should not expect an answer, but it was somehow helpful to voice her confusion aloud. Snow glanced over at her son-in-law but he gave her a helpless shrug; he was as much in the dark as her.

The wolf ignored both of them and continued to gaze out to the sea as if searching for something. Or someone.

Snow saw the familiar face rise to surface first. "Waverly!"

Rayne's old friend and the only other soul who had seen Odette in her cursed state now bobbed next to the stern of the boat, her golden eyes sparkling and her smile as radiant as ever. Snow would recognize that beam anywhere. She remembered, long ago that night she had snuck into the ball with Odette, those gilded eyes and thankful grin staring up at her in wonder as she defended the mermaid from the palace guards.

If she was glad to see the mermaid, Rayne was ecstatic. The wolf leaped right out of the boat, straight towards her old friend so that the two of them splashed underwater and disappeared into the sea for a second until they bobbed up again, the wolf licking the mermaid's face in earnest with her paws wrapped around the shoulders of the woman as if they were her arms. The mermaid giggled and accepted the dog-like smothering with amusement.

Hook chuckled lightly, "Well there is something you do not see every day." Snow had to agree with him on that, a mermaid and wolf greeting each other as such friends.

Once Rayne had finished her greetings Snow leaned over and held out her hand just above the water's surface. "It's good to see you again Waverly."

The mermaid smiled her dazzling white teeth as she took the princess' outstretched hand and squeezed it lightly. Though she could not speak in a human voice her sparkling eyes said as clearly as if she had spoken out loud, _And you as well, Princess Snow White_.

Snow sighed in relief at the touch and the glorious way the mermaid had greeted her. It had been such a long shot fraught with so many uncertainties finding the Golden Mermaid. As her son-in-law had said, quiet annoyingly at that, she had not seen Wave in years and they were only briefly acquainted through Rayne, a wolf that could no longer speak in a human voice.

The thought of the reason for this mission brought a sobering frown on Snow's face. Still holding Wave's hand she enclosed it with her other hand in a pleading gesture. "Waverly," she started. "A long time ago you helped my friend Odette and I when she needed it the most." The mermaid nodded, her light golden eyes intense as she remembered their last mission. Snow smiled sadly, "Now she needs your help again."

The mermaid frowned as if confused, then nodded. She would help them. The four were so intent on each other no one noticed the sun starting to fade as the small but powerful moon slid in front of it…

…

Back at the Storybrooke Animal Shelter Derek kept stroking the long feathered neck of the injured swan. The good veterinarian had set up Odette as comfortably as he could, restraining her so that the arrow did not move and cause further pain and also giving her some anesthesia. She was sleeping now, peacefully breathing in and out of an oxygen mask and hooked up to a life monitor. It killed Derek to see her like this. So helpless, so hurt…and all because of him. He had seen the path of that arrow and knew she took a shot that was meant for him, that she had deliberately flied in front of its path to save him.

"Even after all these years, even after I betrayed you that night and made a vow to someone else…you still would die for me," Derek whispered to the swan. The unconscious creature did not give an indication that she had heard him and the prince kept on stroking her gently.

Meanwhile Dr. Ameyew returned from making his rounds at the dog pens. The animal doctor understood that there was more to this bird and this man than meets the eye, Snow had pulled him aside and explained the unusual magical situation to him, but he could not abandon his patient even under such circumstances.

"I'm sorry Your Highness," he said softly to Derek. "I really need to ask you to step away."

"I understand," Derek nodded, his eyes brimming with tears. "Can I…ask that you give us a last moment of privacy before I make things right? Please?"

"Of course," Dr. Ameyew replied. "I will be in my office." He touched Derek's shoulder in a comforting kind of way before departing quietly to his back office, closing the door softly behind him.

Derek glanced up, making sure he was truly alone then took a deep breath. He was fully resolved on what he had to do next; he was certain he was going to his death, which is why he needed to be alone with her now.

He knelt next to the clinic stand where his beloved was lying. "I am sorry Odette. I never told you how much I loved you. Your bravery, your selflessness, your heroism—when we first met you I was foolish enough only to see your outward beauty and not your brave, kind heart," he said slowly to the dying swan. "I know now what I should have known then; l love you more than I can say and can ever show you. I love your courage, your kindness, and your never ending strength." He heaved a sigh, the tears in his eyes finally falling. Then his face hardened, "And now—I am going to do what I should have done years ago." He stood, wiping his chin furiously and strapping his sword tighter around his belt. "I am going to kill that evil, black-hearted sorcerer and his devil spawn who did this to you. If it is the last thing I do."

He forced himself away from the table, quietly stepping into the back hallway that led to the exit. On the table, the swan who had heard every word that was said slowly opened its eyes. Had her vision been more of the human variation she would have noticed the shimmer of magic that enveloped her feathers. As it was, she only noticed a tear falling down her beak.

…

After what seemed like an eternity out at sea, the odd quartet hit the beach. Hook scrambled out of the boat and began to try and pull it backwards onto the sand. It was a rough haul, especially with only one hand, so Snow leaped out as well and lent her strength. Together, they pulled the boat backward up onto the Storybrooke beach.

Hook smiled. "Now that we made it, shall we get on with it?"

"Yes," Snow answered. "And quickly!"

Hook held his hand out to the boat. "Come along lovely lady, we have a swan to save."

Waverly looked apprehensively at the sandy beach underneath the boat, but eventually took Hook's offered hand and stepped onto it with her bare feet. Thanks to the magic of an enchanted bracelet on loan from Regina, the mermaid could now walk on two legs for the first time in many years. Similar to Ariel's transformation, her long golden tail had been converted into a ragged-looking skirt with the same scaly hue as her tail complete with a fine pair of legs; her upper half was wrapped in Hook's pirate coat for warmth. She took a tentative step forward and then beamed up at Hook.

 _Look! I can walk!_ Her eyes spoke her delight out loud.

"Indeed lass," he answered, his voice light. "You look a regular human maiden."

The white wolf leapt out of the beached boat, obviously very happy to be back on shore then situated herself at the heels of her mermaid. She seemed to agree with Hook's statement, her golden eyes merry as she bumped her head into the mermaid's left leg in a reassuring kind of way. The young woman giggled and pet the wolf lightly on the back.

"Alright, we have to go to the lake now," Snow said.

Hook glanced up. "Shouldn't we call Emma on one of those 'talking-phone' devices and let her know we have arrived?"

"We'll do it on the way to the lake," Snow answered. "We should get there as soon as we can."

…

Even though the sorcerer Rothbart had departed half an hour ago the tense situation in the Storybrooke Animal Shelter had not dissipated. Emma and David paced the floors, each checking their cell phones maybe a dozen times per minute, waiting to hear news from Snow or Hook to see if they had found the only other person required for Rothbart to break the spell on Odette. Outside, the sun was now almost full covered by the moon and the surreal shadows of the eclipse were lengthening but the Savior and her father did not pay any attention.

Finally, Emma could stand it no more. "I should have gone with them, I should be out there searching for this, um, mermaid." _Damn, why was it still weird to say things like that,_ she thought. _Even after living in Storybrooke for years now?_

David placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We need to stay put and make sure Odile does not try to come after Odette again. We need to protect her."

Emma sighed. "I know, I know…I just, feel so worthless here." She glanced in the direction of the back of the shelter. "She should be safe, no one knows she is here but us and that sorcerer fellow. And he wants to help her."

"Well that evil witch somehow found Odette while she was at the station so she might try coming after her again," he answered as he cast a worried look at the exit. "Especially if her father tipped her off with what we are trying to do."

"You don't trust him?"

David shrugged. "I think we should exercise caution." He sighed. "He may claim to want to break the curse on Odette to save her life but we all know love can make people to crazy things."

"Yeah, like turn an innocent woman into a bird for thirty years." Emma did not try to hide the bitterness in her voice. "When this is all over I am still locking him up or sending him over the town line for that. No matter what he is doing now to help us, he is too dangerous to be allowed loose in Storybrooke."

David nodded and then turned his head. Dr. Ameyew had stepped back into the lobby from the back of the Animal Shelter. He paused and seemed to be about to say something when a puzzled look came over his face at the sight of the two sheriffs. "My apologies for the interruption but I came to give an update on the bird's status. Where is the prince? He should be here to hear this."

Confused, Emma turned to her father. Did he mean her Dad?

"No, I mean the young man who is in love with…the swan," the doctor corrected her.

"He's not back there?" David asked.

Dr. Ameyew shook his head.

"What?!" Emma practically yelled. "Then where is he?"

Dr. Ameyew looked genuinely surprised. "He said he was going to make things right. I assumed he was going to talk to you two about that."

"What the hell does that mean?" Emma said, not really expecting an answer but it felt right to say it out loud. She turned to her father. "You don't think he would do anything stupid like go after Rothbart all by himself do you?"

David was about to answer when a strangled cry resounded from the back of the animal shelter. Emma and her father both jumped and then turned in unison, shocked to the core because it had not sounded like the cry of an animal but rather a human. They both raced for the entrance to the back treatment rooms, rounding the corner quickly. Emma was slightly ahead of her father and what she saw jarred her so much she stopped midstride and he almost collided into her.

Where the white swan had been now lay an injured woman, a woman with long blonde hair and haunted grey-blue eyes.

"O…Odette?" Emma barely managed to stammer out. She was having a hard time believing what she was seeing.

The injured woman could only whimper a small, weak confirmation moan. She shivered and tried to gather the blue hospital coverings around her body to hide her nakedness, jarring the arrow that stuck out of her right shoulder. Even that small movement caused her to cry out in pain.

"Oh my gods no," Emma said as she came closer while her father hung back, trying to avert his gaze out of respect for the injured princess. As a swan, Odette had been settled comfortably on the mediuam-size animal examination table, but as a human she barely fit on it. Emma stripped off her red leather jacket and placed it as gently as she could around Odette's torso, avoiding the arrow as much as possible. Odette shivered and tried to curl up tighter underneath the jacket; Emma caught her hands and started to rub them, trying to get some warmth into her.

"Dr. Ameyew!" David called out. "We need you in here now!"

As the veterinarian rounded the corner into the medical bay, Emma held onto Odette's hand tightly and she was relieved when she felt the princess weakly squeeze her fingers back.

"Help her!" she demanded, rather harshly to the veterinarian over her shoulder. "You have to help her!"

Dr. Ameyew was already setting up. "I will do the best I can," he replied as he gently readjusted the breathing mask back over Odette's face. The princess gasped a few times then resumed a normal breathing pace, her hand still clutched by Emma. "Please we need to move her," he glanced over at David. "Can you help me?"

David nodded and came over quickly. Dr. Ameyew started to lay out blankets and sterile coverings on one of the larger animal examination tables, moving as quickly as he could.

As the vet worked, Emma could only stare. How could this have happened? Odette's curse was to remain a swan during the day and only transform at night when the moonlight—the moonlight!

"The eclipse!"

David glanced at Emma. "What was that?"

"The eclipse that is happening today. It must be why she can—look!" Emma gestured towards the open window and, sure enough, they could both clearly see the diminishing light outside. It was not a full eclipse but it was enough to diminish the light of day noticeably. "Maybe that's why her transformation is different." She glanced back at her friend. "Regina once said magic does not always work the way it should in Storybrooke and maybe she has been able to transform outside of the lake and that's why we could never find her."

"Please!" Dr. Ameyew spoke up. "This woman needs a hospital, not an animal clinic. Someone should call an ambulance and you sir—" he spoke directly to David as he gently removed the breathing mask from over Odette's face "—I need you to move her over onto another table. We need to get that arrow out of her."

"Right, of course," David quickly answered as he placed himself next to Odette at the table. She glanced up at him, her eyes full of dread. She knew that what he was about to do was going to hurt her, a lot.

He knew it as well. "I am so sorry," he whispered to the swan princess. As gently as humanly possible, he slid his hands underneath Odette's shoulders and knees, cradling her into his arms as if she weighed nothing. The princess whimpered at his touch but did not cry out loud as she reached her other arm over and clung to David's broad shoulders while he carried her, Emma right next to him.

"You're going to be okay Odette," she kept saying to her injured friend. "You're going to be alright."

Ever so gently, David set the woman down on the examination table Dr. Ameyew had set up. Odette let go of his shoulder and carefully placed her arm down, trying to shield herself from sight as best she could. Modesty was the last thing anyone was thinking about but she still felt the need to cover herself as much as possible until Dr. Ameyew gently placed a heated blanket and more hospital coverings over her. He then applied a local anesthetic and slipped on some hospital gloves.

"You two should probably leave," he said as he prepared further. "This is not going to be pleasant."

"Hell no, I am not leaving her," Emma said firmly. She had taken Odette hand in her own again and was relieved to feel a slight pressure in it, indicating that the swan princess had heard her words. But she seemed to be struggling with saying something. Gasping a bit, she struggled to drawn in a full breath through the pain.

"Derek…he is…gone," Odette managed to get out.

"We know," Emma replied. "We are working on getting your curse lifted long enough for him to give you True Love's Kiss so we need to know where he has gone."

Odette whimpered. "He is going after Rothbart, alone. He means to kill him and his daughter."

"Shit!" Emma rounded onto her father. "We have to stop him! He could get killed…or kill Rothbart…then we can never break her curse."

"How could he even know where the sorcerer is?" David asked.

"He must have overheard us talking about meeting him at the lake," Emma said. "If he kills that sorcerer, Odette does not stand a chance. Even if Mom and Killian get back with the mermaid and the wolf, Odette will stay a swan forever."

"Please", Odette spoke up from the hospital table. "Please find him. Rothbart will kill him in an instant. You have to save him."

Emma grasped her friend's hand again. "What about you? You're still in danger here. Odile could come after you again."

Odette shook her head. "I'll be alright. Please go!"

"Emma," David had come closer and gently touched her arm. "We should go."

Emma was torn between wanting to stay and protect her friend to needing to perform her duties as sheriff. In the end it was Odette's pleading eyes that made her move. "We'll find him, I promise," she whispered.

Odette nodded then closed her eyes as the aesthetic and painkillers began to work its way further into her system. Emma could only squeeze her hand one more time before turning and following her father out of the Animal Shelter.

"Where do we start?" he asked immediately.

Emma knew the answer. "Let's get to the lake—" _Swan Lake, I guess we should call it_ , she thought "— Rothbart told Mom and Killian to meet him there as soon as they find the mermaid. If Derek overheard his instructions and knows that the sorcerer will be there then I think we can bet he is going to be there too."

…

 _ **Down the wire! Review please!**_


	10. The Battle at Swan Lake

**Chapter 10: The Battle at Swan Lake**

 _Present Day: Storybrooke_

...

Very rarely did Sheriff Emma Swan have to resort to using the sheriff station wagon's siren but this time, with an urgency such as this, she blasted the damn thing as she and her dad sped through town, heading to Swan Lake. She swerved and wound her way through traffic, cursing the sheer volume of people who were out and about gaping at the eclipse. She'd torn through town many times before, chasing Snow Queens, Chernabogs, and gods knew what else. But for some reason this was nothing like it was before. Now, after realizing that the only way to break the spell was going to be ruined if Prince Derek did what he was about to do. She had to stop him.

"Easy there Emma," she heard her father say in her haze of anger and desperation. Instantly, she let up off the gas when she realized how dangerous their speed really was.

"Sorry Dad," she quickly said. "I'm just so worried."

"We'll find him. We'll stop him," her father reassured her.

Emma pounded on the steering wheel with the palm of her hand and could have cursed. "How could I have let this happen? Seriously what kind of a Savior am I?" She heaved a frustrated groan. "I should have had someone follow Derek, kept an eye on him. I should have realized that was not Odette at the wedding and stopped that evil witch from—"

"Hey! Calm down," her father spoke kindly but firmly. "This is not your fault and you know it."

Emma scoffed. "Really? Isn't it?" she swerved the station wagon a bit to avoid the curve on Main Street. "I was itching for another 'Savior' adventure and when this one turned up so far all I have done is being one step behind some rich lawyer and his psychotic daughter! I mean, how could I have been so worthless with this fairytale?" She heaved a frustrated sigh. "It's my job to help people get their happy endings and, maybe it's because I have not done it in such a long time, I just didn't…Oh I don't know! I just really messed up on this one." She groaned as a thought occurred to her. "Odette deserves better."

"Hey I know you've been wanting to be the Savior again," David acknowledged. Emma turned and glanced at him briefly to give a surprised look. Her father smiled. "I know you Emma; that night in the sheriff's station when you made that comment about having things be 'a little more exciting around here', well—" he gestured to the town of Storybrooke as it was flying by "—this is it. This is our existence of sorcerers, spells, magic, and everything that goes with it. It's what we have chosen and you know what, sometimes the fights to keep it are difficult but they are _worth_ it." He smiled proudly at his daughter. "I think you feel the same way. And you know what—" He shook his head in amazement at the wonder that was his first-born "—I am so glad you are the way you are."

Emma managed a small smile for her dad. His words were very comforting and she was very grateful for them. Still, she felt a lingering sense of doubt. "I mean how are we going to do this? We only have—" she glanced up towards the sun, being very careful not to look directly at it despite its faded appearance "—a few minutes or so before the eclipse ends. Is that going to be enough time to break the spell?"

David had to stay positive. "We've been in worse situations before kiddo and if there's one thing that this family believes in it's that—" Emma could not help but join is as she also quoted the family mantra:

"— _good always wins_."

While the daughter-and-dad sheriff duo were exchanging words of encouragement neither one noticed the 3rd missed call from Hook flashing on Emma's smart phone.

…

"Still no answer?"

Hook grumbled and shoved the older-model flip phone into this pants pocket. "Why do I bother carrying around this ridiculous 'talking-phone' device if she never answers when I use it?" The look he gave his mother-in-law was almost sardonic. "If she does not show up with that swan princess in tow we might have to deal with this Rothbart fellow ourselves and, I don't know about you, but my history with evil wizards has been somewhat scaly."

Snow gave him an equally scornful-look. "She'll be here Hook. Something must have come up, maybe Odette needed some extra attention or they're having trouble moving her. Regardless, she'll get here with Odette."

The Golden Mermaid could not join in on the conversation, having not had a human voice for a while now, but she gave a worried expression to the white wolf as she crouched next to the creature and stroked her head.

 _Do you smell this 'Emma' woman anywhere?_ the mermaid asked in mer-tongue.

The wolf's furry head swayed back and forth, her nose twitching, before grunting a negative note.

Waverly felt the guard hairs underneath her fingers begin to stiffen, saw that the golden eyes of the wolf started to harden. The wolf was becoming anxious and, frankly, so was she. _Something does not feel right._ The mermaid glanced around the city lake, it was complete devoid of any human presence and a strange fog had descended upon the water. The mist gave a forbidding atmosphere and added additional worry to the already tense situation. _We are all here and this sorcerer said he needed us to break the curse on the princess but what if it's a …_

"It's a trap."

At this statement, the eyes of the princess, the mermaid, and the wolf all lit upon the pirate. "What?" Snow asked. "How can you be sure?"

Her son-in-law had been studying the lake as well, noting that fact that there no other people and a complete lack of cover, he turned to her. "Something is not right." His dark eyes roved the lake, seeing the eerie fog and deserted area. "Emma should have been here by now or at least send word that she was coming with the lass. Which means that something has gone wrong and this Swan Princess is in danger." His hand strayed casually to his sword. "I've learned one thing in all my years of dealing with sorcerers and wizards, and that is to never trust them completely."

"Right you are pirate!"

Captain Hook, Princess Snow, Rayne the Wolf, and Waverly the Golden Mermaid all whipped around at the sound of a sinister voice behind them. The evil sorcerer Rothabart had materialized in a puff of maroon smoke, his sinister sorcerer's outfit billowing around him with a dramatic wave.

"Did you honestly think I was going to give up the opportunity to destroy that little brat of a princess' only chance to break her spell?" Rothbart sneered dramatically. "It's true she would need the three of you—" he gestured towards Snow, Rayne, and Waverly "—to help ease it temporarily so that the kiss of her true love would do the trick. And, unfortunately for her, this would have been the only time it would work."

"Then why now?" Snow demanded, trying to stall for time. "Why did you need all of us now?"

As an answer, Rothbart gestured to the shadows of the trees and the odd shapes on the ground. "The eclipse princess!"

A flash of clarity went through Snow's mind. "The moon; Odette is human—"

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" demanded Hook.

Snow shook her head, incredulously, at the realization. "Odette is cursed to spend the day as a swan and the nights as a human but now, with the moon over the sun, —" she turned to Rothbart, her eyes narrowed in anger "—she's human now isn't she?"

"Very clever princess! If you had brought her here my transformation spell might have been lifted temporarily for that stupid prince's kiss to work, but as you can see," he waved his hand and summoned a magic energy ball. "I've changed my mind."

Hook drew his sword and Snow reached for an arrow on her back quiver before she remembered her bow was still at the bottom of the lake. She had been in such a hurry to find the mermaid she failed to grab another weapon. At any rate, what good were their fairytale weapons against his magic? Waverly crouched protectively near the wolf, her teeth bared in a feral hiss.

"Say good-bye to Odette's only chance," Rothbart mocked as he raised his hand ready to let the energy ball go flying.

Out of nowhere a sword crashed into the ball, swinging like a baseball bat and shattering the metal but at least diffusing the magic enough so that it careened worthlessly about until disappearing entirely.

Derek drew his dagger, putting his feet in a fighting stance. "I swore I would find Odette and, after I did, I would kill you 'Great Animal'!"

He lunged to drive the knife home, but not before Hook and Snow shouted, "No!" Their shouts were not necessary, the sorcerer poofed out of the way just before the tip of the weapon struck his side.

"What the hell are you doing mate!" Hook came forward and tried to grab Derek's arm. "If you kill that mad man your princess will remain a swan forever."

Derek glared daggers at the pirate. "Odette is dead. You heard the doctor." He pulled himself free. "I might not have been able to save her, but I will avenge her death."

"There is a chance Derek, there is still a chance!" Snow was now at the prince's side. "We might still be able to save her."

"How? What can we possibly do?"

Snow was about to answer when the sound of a skidding car resounded behind them. The sheriff station wagon had pulled into the lake parking lot, swerving in its haste on the graveled bank a bit, before skidding to a halt. Emma and David leaped out of it, weapons at the ready.

"Is everyone okay?" David hastily asked, rushing to his wife's side. Emma likewise did to her husband.

"Yes we're fine," Hook quickly reassured his father-in-law. "But we may have a situation on our hands." He glanced to the spot where Rothbart had disappeared. "It appears the 'good' sorcerer has changed his —"

"Watch out!"

There was a deafening roar and a large plum of magic swirled towards them from across the lake, easily outsizing the puny ball that Rothbart had conjured that Derek had managed to dissipate with his sword. The whole party ducked to the side, scrambling out of the periphery of the heated magic force.

Everybody quickly got to their feet, weapons at the ready, when a figure poofed into view a mere meter in front of them. Just on the edge of the lake stood everyone's worst fears. It was not Rothbart but rather, his daughter. She had fully dropped her guise of Odile Bart in this Land Without Magic; she now stood in front of the Heroes in full-sorceress regal: black billowing cape, black dress with red, wavy trimmings, high-heeled boots that stretch up mid-calf, and a wrathful expression. She was after revenge and they all knew it.

"Now comes that part where the 'big reveal' happens," she jeered. "Where you find out you've been deceived this whole time and my father is not the one you really need to worry about." She dramatically drew herself up. "It's me!"

She swirled her cape in front of her body, temporarily shielding herself from view, but when the cloak was withdrawn she was not as she had been before. A large beast with bat-like wings, fangs, and a roar emerged from the spot and took to the skies.

"The Great Animal!" Derek exclaimed. He reached for the scabbard on his sword belt only to find that it was empty, shattered to a million pieces when he had intercepted Rothbart's magic.

As the Great Animal swooped down onto the group Emma shouted an order. "Split up!"

The whole group scattered, Emma and Hook to one side of the shoreline and David and Snow to the other. The mermaid threw off Hook's jacket, sprinted to the lake and made an elegant leap into the shallows. There was a flash of golden light underneath the surface and a large fish fin ducked into the water. Derek backed up a bit but seemed determined to confront the Animal and would not retreat until the wolf lunged at him, snarling, and he jumped back.

While Emma and Hook ran around the lake they jolted back as a second puff of magic appeared before them.

 _Great_ , was all Emma could think, _Just what we need!_

"You think you can escape you miserable creetins!" shouted Rothbart dramatically. "I'll have you know that I can—"

Emma saw a quick flash of silver metal and heard a large _thunk_! Rothbart tumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Emma could only stare in admiration of her husband's quick thinking. "I've never seen you use the blunt end of your hook before."

Hook shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, I did not think he was worth killing if it meant that poor lass would stay the rest of her days as a swan. We still need him alive after all." He glanced down at the knocked-out sorcerer and noticed a glitter of light in the pocket of his sorcerer's cloak. Reaching down with his right hand he plucked out two corked bottles filled to the brims with some sort of glowing semi-solid substance, one blue and the other golden.

"What the bloody hell…?" The pirate studied the bottles before a sudden comprehension hit him.

"Swan," he quickly said. "These are—"

"Mom! Dad!"

Emma had seen the bottles but did not relay as much importance on them as her husband did; she was rather focused on the battle at hand. The Great Animal was rounding on her parents, and they would need her help. Snow had lost her bow in the battle at the wedding party and David only had one sword. As the Animal made a dive at him and he took a large swipe at it with his weapon, forcing it to take to the sky again. It rounded towards them again but this time, did a deceptive jab to the left and managed to knock both David and Snow down using its large wing from the right.

"Get the hell away from them!" Emma shouted. She summoned the magic up and unleashed a powerful torrent of White Magic blast to the creature, but all it did was momentarily distract. The Great Animal barely turned its head to briefly acknowledge her and Hook running towards it. Emma and Hook skidded to a stop when they simultaneously realized her magic had done nothing, not even a scratch, to the Creature.

"Oh shit!" Emma said out loud. By the looks of her husband's face, he shared her sentiments.

They now were directly in front of the creature's line-of-sight, and apparently, completely unarmed. The Creature was about to snap it's powerful jaws on them when a small, furry beast ran past Emma and Hook and leaped dramatically onto the creatures back, sinking it's teeth into one of the wings. With terrible screeching the Great Animal tried to buck Rayne off but the wolf held on tight, whipping back and forth with the momentum.

As it was temporarily distracted Derek drew his knife, leaped past David, ignoring the shouts for caution. He grabbed the Animal and managed to get a chunk of its flesh with his knife. It screeched and tore free, billowing all of them with a torrent as it once again as she took to the sky. At the last second, the wolf let go and jumped down to the ground.

Emma let fly with another magic burst and managed to graze the creature on the injured wing. It gave a screech of fury then retreated to the outline of the lake shore trees, concealing itself from view temporarily.

"This isn't working!" David shouted. He stepped protectively next to his wife, keeping his sword ready for when the Animal would appear again. "Everyone take shelter!"

 _Meanwhile, in Storybrooke Hospital…_

…

Odette lay on the sterile hospital bed, hands spread out in front of her, staring at her fingers as best she could. The sedatives they have given her were doing their part but she fought it as best she could, wanting to savor being human for as long as possible. After arriving at the hospital the doctors had remove the arrow and closed up her wound and now she was hooked up to some sort of device that gave her 'pain-killers' they called it. She still did not fully understand the functions of certain objects in this Land Without Magic, but at the very least the potions and draughts of this realm worked. She felt worlds better than she had before.

"Your Highness? I came to check on you."

Odette looked up and saw the good Dr. Ameyew standing at her doorway. She smiled serenely at him. The veterinarian had insisted on occupying her to the hospital to make sure she was alright. She needed to show her gratitude.

She stretched out a weak hand and he came forward and took it. "Thank you…for helping me," she said in a grateful voice. "You've been so kind."

The veterinarian smiled. Because he doctored animals since he had arrived in Storybrooke with the first Dark Curse had he had never been able to hear one of his patients thanking him with human words. Not even when he had helped Snow White with the injured dove had he ever felt this kind of satisfaction and contentment with his animal patients. It was magical.

"You're more than welcome," he replied sincerely, squeezing her hand a little.

She managed a small squeeze back.

"Now you must rest," the doctor instructed. "Your wound is better now but there is still a chance you could—"

He was interrupted by Odette's sudden fit of coughing.

"Princess?" Dr. Ameyew was immediately filled with concern. "What's wrong?" He checked her monitor and was alarmed to see that her heart rate had spiked.

"No, no ,no!" Odette fought the change, tried to stop it, but it was futile. "This can't be happening!" Glancing out the window next to her hospital bed she saw the cause; the sunlight was oncoming, the eclipse was ending. She bucked in the bed as she felt her spine begin to shrink and her arms turn to wings.

"What's happening?!" The veterinarian had never seen anything like this, even in a magic-ridden town like Storybrooke.

"I'm…changing," Odette managed to get out through gritted teeth and she fought it. She clenched Dr. Ameyew's hand tightly, digging her human nails in, trying to convey her need. "If this is the last time I am human…if I don't make it back—"

"What? What are you saying—?"

"Tell Derek," Odette felt the feathers on her fingers grow,"—I love him too!"

 _Meanwhile, back at Swan Lake…_

…

"Swan!" Hook held out one of the bottles he had taken from Rothbart. "This is mermaid magic!" Hook exclaimed.

"Are you sure?"

Her husband nodded, "I'd recognize it anywhere."

Everyone was crouched behind one of the lake watersheds, trying to conceal themselves as best they could from the Great Animal. The creature had retreated for now but who knew when it would strike again? In the meantime, the Savior was trying to come up with something of a semblance of a plan to save everyone.

"Can we use it?"

Her husband nodded. "Aye! If you can manipulate it to amplify one of our weapons we might be able to strike down the beast." He shoot his eyes upward, watching the Great Animal start to fly in circles around the lake, obviously searching for them. "If we can get close enough that is. We need a weapon that does not need to get close something like—"

"Mom!" The solution had clicked in Emma's head faster than she would have thought possible. "Mom!"

"What is it Emma?" Snow quickly replied.

"Where's your bow?"

"Uh…Odile threw it into the lake," Snow was completely confused as to why her daughter was asking this of her now of all times.

"We need it—now!"

Rayne was already on the move. Running out into the open, the wolf made a mad dash for the lake shore and jumped in, dog-paddling further into the water as fast as she could. Luckily, the Great Animal did not try to attack her. The wolf had no disillusions that she would be able to find a bow in the huge lake, but she knew someone who could…

Meanwhile, back behind the supposed-protection of the lake shed, the Heroes were temporarily distracted when Rayne made her dash into the open and were not watching the skies. Snow's shout came too late. "Watch out!"

The Great Animal suddenly appeared over them, swooped down, and managed to grab David by the shoulders, taking to the sky before anyone could react.

"David!"

"Dad!"

Emma and Snow ran out from their cover and could only watch in horror as the Animal soared up and down, dropping then catching David deliberately in her talons. Torturously playing with him.

Rayne was still in the water, swimming as best she could while snarling and growling with anxiety. Finally, she found what she sought—a wet human head appeared on the lake's surface just in front of her.

 _The bow!_ She was not using human words anymore but the meaning was clear to the mermaid. _Snow White's bow!_ She snapped her jaw. _Swim to the bottom of the lake, and get the bow!_

The mermaid immediately ducked down and disappeared into the water. The wolf turned her head and saw that the Heroes were out of their covered area, watching helplessly as David was being taking further and further up.

"Emma!" Snow shouted, "Can you get them with your magic?"

Emma raised her hands but even she, with her limited knowledge of magic, knew it was futile. "They're too far away!"

The Great Animal screeched a high-pitched note and looked as if it was going to arch down and slam David into the ground when it suddenly stopped and jerked sideways instead. Some other flying creature, too far away for the Heroes to see clearly, had flown up from the far shoreline and winged directly into the Great Animal's face, distracting it by swooping in and out. The small flying creature let out a honk and then Emma knew.

"It's Odette!" she shouted. Even though she knew it would hurt her eyes she quickly glanced at the sun and her suspicions were confirmed; the eclipse was fading and the magic that allowed Odette to be human was gone. The sunlight was coming back and the power of the moon receded.

 _What are we going to do about that now? Odette needs the curse to be lifted temporarily for True Love's Kiss to work._ But right now they had bigger issues, namely her Dad still being carried around like a damn mouse in the clutches of a hawk.

Still in the talons of the Great Animal, David saw his chance. Because of the distraction from the swan the Creature had lowered its altitude in the sky and they were now located at a relatively safe height above the lake where he felt a jump was reasonable. He twisted in the claws and swiped at the talons with his sword, slicing open a large cut. The thing that held him screeched it's loudest yet and, as he had hoped, released him.

"David!" Snow shouted from the shoreline, her chest feeling like it was having a heart attack as she saw her husband plunge downward. Emma was likewise shocked to see her father disappear briefly in the water before exhaling with relief when his head broke the surface.

"He's okay Mom!" she quickly grabbed her Mom's hands. "He's okay!"

David, veteran of the Enchanted Forest that he was, immediately began stroking towards the shoreline with urgency. He had to get back to his wife. As he was pulling himself forward he suddenly felt small but strong arms encircle his torso. He turned and glanced sideways at the face of the Golden Mermaid, her expression determined as she helped propel him to shore where his wife was waiting. As they got to the shallows and he was able to put his legs down and feel the ground, the mermaid quickly let go of him and then bobbed her head up.

He was about to open his mouth and thank her when she shook her head urgently. Her eyes and very expression conveyed to him her message: _There is no time!_ From under the water she brought something up and held it out to him.

He accepted his wife's bow with shaking hands.

Back at the lake shore, Emma and Hook could only watch as the swan that was Odette bravely battled the Great Animal, swooping in and out of its face in attempts to distract it, pecking at its eyes when she could.

"She can't keep that thing busy for long," Hook commented. "She's still injured."

Emma nodded urgently. "I know. What we need now is—"

"Emma!"

The Savior turned and saw her mother and father running towards her, David dripping wet and Snow waving a wooden object gleefully about.

Emma could not believe it. "You got the bow Dad!"

"Actually, the mermaid did," her father quickly corrected, never one to take credit when other's had done something brilliant. "Now, where is that bottled magic?"

"Oh right!" Emma quickly took the bottle from her husband while her mother drew one of her arrows out of her quiver. Emma exhaled, feeling oddly inadequate for the task she was about to do. "Here goes nothing." She poured the liquid-like substance over the arrow and then hovered her hands over it, closing her eyes in concentration. _You need to be strong enough and fast enough to pierce the heart of the…um, Great Animal._ She frowned, concentrating with every fiber of her being. _You need to help Odette. You need to amplify your strength._

The arrow started vibrating in Snow's hand, not so much that she dropped it but enough for her to be startled. Then, glancing up at her daughter's concentrated face, she felt a surge of pride swept through her. This was her little girl at her best, helping people find their happy endings, being the Savior. _She's so wonderful_ , was the maternal-pride thought in her mind.

The arrow glowed a golden hue and then it was done. Snow now held a magical-infused arrow in her hand.

There was not a moment to lose. The Great Animal managed to swipe at the swooping and dodging swan, knocking the poor bird down so that she plummeted into the lake.

"NNOOOOO!" Derek was about to jump in to save her when Hook grabbed his arm.

"Steady mate, I think you're going to be the next target," he explained.

The pirate's instincts were right. The Animal rounded once in the sky and then started to plummet towards the group on the lake shore, its evil eyes glaring with contempt at the Prince and a murderous intention in its expression.

"Mom!" Emma shouted. "Do it now!"

Snow quickly knocked the arrow and drew back. She exhaled, trying to force her heart to slow down and her concentration to increase. If she missed this shot, they had no chance against the Great Animal. Emma might have her magic and Derek his lust for revenge but those would be inadequate. It was up to her.

 _I promised you Odette that I would help you._ The thoughts raced in her head as the Animal got closer and closer. _And now…with my daughter's help…I will!_ She let out an intense yell and released her hold on the arrow.

The magical weapon soared…bursting forth in a blaze of golden light...right before lodging in the upper chest of the Great Animal. The guttural screech of the dying beast was followed by a scream of rage that sounded oddly feminine. The Charming family and the wolf and the prince all watched as the winged beast tumbled in the sky, did a full-circle backwards with the force of the arrow, and then nose-dived downward. As the body hit the waters of the lake a huge explosion resonated with a burst of lights and smoke, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When they finally looked again, the Great Animal had disappeared. Odile Bart was no more.

Emma was the first to recover from the shock and, as the Savior, made sure that everyone was safe and relatively unscathed. She glanced around. "Is everyone alright?"

All around there were nods of confirmation; everyone was still a little shaken by what they had just witnessed, but able to show that they were alright.

Derek was the first one to move to the lake. He abruptly stopped just at the shore and seemed to be staring at something in the water.

Emma joined him and saw what he did, causing her mouth to drop open.

A woman— _No, a mermaid_ , she quickly corrected herself—was swimming gently towards them. She appeared to be holding a large bundle of blood-stained feathers over the water but as she came closer, everyone saw the horrible truth. The swan that was Odette was injured and barely breathing.

"No, please no!" Derek splashed into the water, gently taking the bird from the mermaid's arms.

Everyone gathered around the grieving prince at a respectful distance. Snow clasped a hand over her mouth, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she looked at her dying friend. Emma could scarcely believe it; they had won the battle but if Odette was still to die as a swan then she had failed as the Savior.

…

 _Sorry to leave a cliff hanger but I wanted to keep the chapter lengths relatively similar! What did you think?_


	11. Breaking the Swan Curse

**Chapter 11: Breaking the Swan Curse**

 _Present Day: Storybrooke_

…

Prince Derek of Chamberg was kneeling by the lake shore, cradling the love of his life as she was slowly dying. It did not matter that she was still a swan, there was no way in hell he was leaving her now. Everyone knelt next to the two, keeping a respectful distance but Snow could not help but lean forward a bit and gently lay a hand on Odette's feathered head.

"Odette," she whispered. "Odette I'm right here."

The injured bird made a small mewing sound that they all took to mean that she knew her friend was there and she was comforted.

Emma's thoughts were a torrent of despair, racing at one hundred miles per hour. _I can't heal her because Rothbart's magic will block it,_ she thought desperately. _We can't move her and take her back to the animal hospital and if I called an ambulance, assuming I can convince them to come and pick up a bird, they won't get here in time._

She was the freakin' Savior and she could not do a damn thing!

"She will…die," A voice no one expected came. "She…needs magic."

The Heroes all looked away from the injured bird towards the mermaid.

 _Did she just talk?_ Emma was amazed. She was mostly unaware of the history of the mermaid, but she had been informed that the sea maiden could not talk, having gifted her voice to Rayne the wolf many years ago during their first adventure together. _Maybe that mermaid magic was hers and, after Mom shot the arrow, it went back to her._

The mermaid took all of their amazed expressions in stride. She only looked at Emma. "You must…heal…Sav—vior."

Emma was overwhelmed; she wanted nothing more than to do that. "I've already tried. My magic won't work while she's a swan." She did not have to look at the sun to confirm her next statement. "The eclipse is over and we can't lift the spell temporarily." She reached over and stroked the swan's wing. "What we need is—"

 _Wait a minute!_

"Hook! Where is that other bottle of magic you took off of Rothbart?"

Her husband quickly reached into his pirate jacket and produced the blue-tinted bottle, glowing slightly with the contents of magic. "Here love," he handed it over. "What do you suppose it is?"

Emma examined it. "I don't know, but it doesn't look dangerous." She held up the bottle to her Mom and Dad. "Do you think we can use this?"

Emma felt a light tug on the side of her jacket and realized the wolf had set her teeth in the edge of the leather article and was giving it a pull. Rayne was whining, pawing at Emma's leg while pulling on her jacket. It was like she was trying to same something.

"She say that…fairy magic," Waverly spoke in a husky voice, as if she had not used her voice in a very long time. She came forward, pushing herself clumsily onto land with her enormous fish tail, moving as a monk seal would. "Long time ago, the Blue Fairy granted her wish to change into a human." The wolf grunted a confirmation note and then added an urgent chuffing sound. The mermaid looked intently up at the humans from her position of half-in and half-out of the water. "She say: 'Use it on Princess!'"

"Really?" Emma could not help but ask. She turned and looked the wolf in her eyes. This was a big thing after all; Rayne's ability to be human was obviously very precious. There was nothing but sincerity in those golden orbs.

The Golden Mermaid nodded. "It is—", she shook her head in frustration, trying to find the words in a voice she had not used in decades, "—only way save her."

Emma quickly uncorked the bottle. As before, when she was super-charging the arrow to kill the Great Animal, she tilted the glass container and let the contents float/spill out, an odd combination of vapor and liquid. The blue hue descended upon the injured swan while everyone held their breath in anticipation.

Emma reached over and, ever so gently, took the bird from Prince Derek's arm. The swan was surprisingly heavy but she hardly noticed. What was noticeable was the blood stains on the white feathers from various wounds, including from the original arrow lodged in her chest. She saw her jacket sleeves were now stained by more wounds on the animal's back and this increased her sense of urgency.

Derek bent over the bird and kissed its feathered head. "Hold on, Odette. Hold on for me, please."

Emma cradled the bird gently on her knees. "Here goes." She held her right hand over the bird's head, closing her eyes in concentration.

Everyone watched, not daring to make one sound while the Savior was at work.

After a few seconds the blue hue around the bird started to sharpen itself, tracing its way deliberately around the bird's feathers, wings, webbed feet until sliding to a stop. Emma took a deep breath, scrunched her eyes tighter, and concentrated harder.

At first it felt to Emma that nothing was happening and then she heard Snow take a sharp intake of breath. She quickly opened her eyes and that was when she saw the change.

No one had ever seen Odette transform before so everyone was in awe. There was a flash of blue light and then it all happened gradually. First her wings melted away and then her neck shortened and then finally, her entire body stretched. It all happened in the span of a few seconds but it seemed to take longer because everyone was watching so intently.

Emma now cradled an injured human female in her arms.

"Odette!" Derek leaned over her and took Odette's shoulders from Emma's hands. He clutched her head into his own, putting his own cheek right next to hers. The Swan Princess had her eyes closed and her breath was coming out only in short gasps. She was clad only in a ripped and battered hospital gown, barely concealing her body, but no one paid attention. The arrow wound on her left shoulder had opened up again and was creating a spreading stain on her blue gown. Her long, blonde hair was matted with mud while her face was cut and bloody, streaked with dirt from the swim with the mermaid in the city lake.

"Derek?" she whispered, her eyes fluttering open just a bit. "Derek is that you?"

"Yes, yes I'm here," he straightened and stroked his hand gently on her cheeks. It ached him to see her in so much pain.

"Derek…I'm so weak…I think I'm…"

"No! No don't say that Odette…"

Emma had seen and heard enough. "Please, we need to hurry," she said to Derek. "I don't know how long this transformation magic will last."

Derek nodded, his entire trust resting on the Savior's word. "What do I do?" his eyes were glistening with tears but hardened with determination.

Savior-instincts were kicking in so Emma knew exactly what had to happen. "Let's all make sure we're here," Emma instructed. She turned to the water and gestured to the mermaid. "Come up a bit." _Rothbart said all who had seen Odette before she became a swan full-time have to be here so for this to work._ She glanced at the dying princess again. _This had better work!_

Waverly looked surprised but moved forward, bringing her tail completely out of the water. Her scales shimmered a beautiful golden in the afternoon sun. The wolf came right next to her, giving her a quick lick on the face before the mermaid threw her arms around the furry neck. With practiced movement that indicated that they had done this many times before, the wolf helped draw the mermaid forward by sharing her weight on land. They both came closer together and sat next to the dying princess.

"Alright, that's everyone who saw Odette before Rothbart cursed Odette to be a swan completely," Emma said, still finding the words difficult to process. She made sure her mom, Rayne the wolf, and Waverly the mermaid were all looking at the injured woman. Then, she turned to Derek. "I think you have to try it now."

"Try—try what?"

"Try…kissing her again," Emma explained. "Really try this time."

Derek heaved a sigh. It was something he had tried before and it did not work. Maybe this time it would be different.

He kissed her on the lips, gently and with an exquisite tenderness. The kiss was tender and amorous; the act of one who was ready to give all for the sake of his love. It was gentle but it still pulled no punches. With their lips together there came a wave of colored light, expanding from the injured woman and her prince outward and caused all of them to feel a slight rush of wind.

Emma remembered that last time she had seen True Love's magic; when she was in that mansion and her magic was flailing all around and Elsa had come to save her. Elsa, who had fought the same demons, teaching Emma how to love herself.

Her best friend's words came back to her: _You have to love yourself Emma. The good, the bad, all of it because this…this is who you truly are._

 _I hope Elsa was right,_ Emma thought. _And that I truly am the Savior._

Emma quickly leaned over and placed her hands across Odette's bloody, wounded body.

"Odette, I'm here. Just hang on a moment. Just hang on so I can help you."

The Princess didn't seem to hear her words; her eyes had fluttered closed and she was not moving. Her thin chest did not even seem to be rising with breath.

Emma closed her own eyes and opened her heart and soul. She released herself into the warm current of her light magic. Her concentration was solely on that she wanted nothing more than to make Odette whole again. She didn't know if it would work, if the True Love's Kiss would change the outcome somehow, but she poured all of herself into it.

As everyone watched with batted breathes the arrow wound closed itself up and the various lacerations and puncturing from the battle with the Great Animal vanished. Emma panted with exhaustion but continued to concentrate, continued to let the magic flow out of her. She felt all of the warmth of the magic gather into herself and then she let it flow out. She was still not sure how to direct it, but somehow it felt right to just let it go out of her and into Odette's need. There was a faint, white magical glow and then, it was over. Everyone watched anxiously as Emma opened her eyes and put her hands down. Odette's closed eyelids fluttered a bit before slowly, sliding open. Her pupils focused, as if she were just coming awake.

Her eyes landed on Emma. "Savior?"

Emma smiled, "Yes".

Everyone stared at Odette. She was already starting to look more alert. Her breathing was getting stronger, and more even. With Derek's help she sat up a little, rubbing a hand over her healed shoulder as if needing to touch where the wound had been to believe that it was gone.

After only a few seconds the reality seemed to sink into the Swan Princess. And she knew then that she was going to live. Wonderfully, unbelievably, against all the odds she knew she was going to live…to live as a human. _Oh gods,_ she thought. _Thank gods…to live as a human woman._

"Derek!"

"Odette!"

The prince enveloped the princess in his arms. She hugged back so hard that her arms hurt. From her position in Derek's arms, she saw the Savior and her family kneeling all around them. Odette sat up completely and then leaned sideways, enfolding Emma in another strong hug. The Savior was so taken by surprise she let out a little 'oh!' as the other woman seemed to squeeze the air out of her.

"Thank you Savior," was Odette's only statement. She squeezed Emma harder. "You saved me."

Emma returned the hug, feeling a great weight released from her shoulders. She did it. She saved the Swan Princess.

"You are very welcome," was all she could think to say.

"Thank you," Odette said again. "I want to thank you, thank you, thank you."

She pulled back, fervently wiping away the tears at her cheeks.

There was happiness all around the group.

Derek wasted no time in stripping off his jacket and wrapping the article around Odette. Now that she was human she was more vulnerable to the cold and the hospital gown was highly inadequate with its length and tattered appearance. She curled up into the jacket, rejoicing in the feel of the warmth from his body. His arm around her shoulders tightened, the back of his free hand caressed her cheek. She found all she wanted to do now was rest her head on his shoulder with her right arm around his neck.

Then, she held her left hand out in front of her face to study her fingers. A shaft of sunlight appeared in the sky and she flinched as the light descended on her, afraid of what might come. But when the feathers did not sprout, when her feet did not become webbed, and her back was not arching with the growth of wings her smile was dazzling. This was the first time she had seen her human self in the sunlight in 30 years.

"I'm human!" she let out a laugh of both ecstasy and relief. "I am human!"

Then the thought seemed to sober her up. Surprisingly, she looked a little disconcerted as she turned and faced the wolf.

"The fairy magic was yours wasn't it?" she asked.

Emma glanced at the glass bottle in Hook's hand. It was now empty and, as far as she knew, it had been a one-time use thing.

The wolf grunted a confirmation note. Odette looked troubled. "I am so sorry…I took your ability to become human didn't I?" she spoke directly to the wolf.

It seemed to Emma that if a wolf could smile, Rayne was trying to do so now. She rumbled a small, peaceful growl and used her right foreleg to stroke at Odette in a dog-like manner. She seemed to want her paw in the princess' hand. Odette complied and the wolf sat solemnly as it was shaken.

"She say…this is good," Waverly spoke up. Her golden eyes watched the princess intently. "She wants you to have her gift and not to be sad."

"But she can't ever be human—" she was stopped mid-sentence by a kiss from the wolf on her cheek.

Rayne did not always comprehend the convolutions of the human notion of giving and taking. To her, it was as simple as the princess had needed the magic gifted by the Blue Fairy and it was right that she had taken it. She was a pack sister, stricken and in need of her help. So she had helped, as simple as that.

She could not convey all of these thoughts to Odette, even with the translations of the mermaid, so she simple leaned forward and gave another quick wolf-kiss to the princess. Somehow that was all the princess needed to be reassured. She smiled. The wolf made a soft sound in her throat something very akin to the purr of a great cat. She then placed her furry head onto Odette golden hair and nuzzled gently. The princess tilted her head and pressed a gently kiss on the wolf's forehead.

Everyone watched the whole exchange, smiling with glee. They had done it. They had saved the Swan Princess.

Emma was the first to speak. "Well…what do we do now?"

Hook chuckled. "I'm not sure love. What is it that we often do after we have solved another 'happy-ending'?"

Emma was about to declare loudly 'We celebrate!' when she noticed Odette rocking forward in an effort to stand. Derek immediately put a gentle hand on her shoulder to help her up. "Odette you should rest, you just went through a huge battle with a monster and—"

"Derek, will you marry me?"

Even Emma was shocked at her audacity. _Of all times to ask him, now?_

If she was puzzled, Prince Derek looked absolutely aghast.

"What is it Derek?" Odette clutched at the jacket wrapped around her tightly as she swayed a little on her bare feet. "What's wrong?"

Derek stared at Odette's face, shadowed by the blue dusk that now lay over the lake, his brow furrowed and troubled. "I am not going to lie to you Odette…I have little or nothing to offer you. No kingdom, no crown, not even a luxurious lifestyle." Derek stroked her hair and then cupped her cheek. "I live simply here in Storybrooke. If you want to go back to our kingdom I can certainly try and find a magic bean but…"

Odette laughed, a light and simple sound. "Derek, is that what you're worried about?" She patted his hand, then kissed his cheek. "I've been living as a _bird_ for 30 years now! I lived on a lake, I slept in reeds, I even ate frogs!" Odette guffawed. "And when I became human during the moonlight I've been taking my meals at a homeless shelter and working in a kitchen."

"Wait? You're a—", a bit of Derek was still very much old-fashioned Enchanted Forest. To him it was a bit of an indignity that a princess should work as a common kitchen maid.

Odette hardly noticed. "Yes," she said, giving his hand a squeeze, "and I have loved it." Her eyes probed her lover's face relentless. "I am going to keep working there. They took me in and gave me a roof over my head and, not only do I owe it to them, I enjoy it." She smiled.

As did Derek. "Oh Odette, and here I was worried you would not want a life with me here because in this land we are no longer…royalty."

She laughed. "Derek, you and I will live simply but wonderfully." She pressed her head into his chest and could hear his heart beating. "Don't you see? All I have ever wanted was you."

 **6 months later…**

"Wow!"

Emma was more than impressed with the set-up that her mother had come up with for the Swan Princess' wedding. From the start Odette had insisted on a small affair, nothing to the scale of what the imposter Odile had tried to pull off. A few friends and important people, a small ceremony by Swan Lake (now the official name of the town lake), and that was it.

Snow White, being the big romantic that she was, had immediately thrown herself into full-blown wedding planning with something akin to the enthusiasm she had had for her daughter's wedding to Hook. A flowered archway had been set up, right at the lake's edge. Rows of white chairs for guests to sit in and a table ladled with a home-cook feast curtesy of the food co-op where Odette now worked full-time. Emma walked amongst the chairs and tables. She was particularly impressed by the strings of lights her father and husband had managed to weave into the hanging branches of the willow trees around the lake and the decorative lanterns strung across several wooden beams; the lights dangled and swayed in the breeze and it all looked like— _Well…like a fairytale_ she could not suppress her chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

Emma turned to her husband. He looked very handsome in his black tuxedo and jacket. They had both gone all out for the wedding with a beautiful, cream-colored dress for Emma, cut in the fashion of the Enchanted Forest, and a nice suit for Hook.

"Nothing, I'm just so happy for them," Emma reassured her husband. She wound her right arm comfortably in his left and settled her hand on his hook, just as they had done so many times before.

Hook smiled. "Aye love." He took in the beautiful décor and could not help but be nostalgic. "Do you remember our wedding?"

Emma returned the smile. "Like it was yesterday." She snuggled into his arm a little. "I was so happy. Despite the threat of the Black Fairy I knew that no matter what happened, no matter what obstacles we would face, we would do it together and that was what really mattered."

She tilted her head up and they shared a quick kiss before Snow White came hurrying over. As the official wedding planner she was adamant that everything go well.

"Emma! Don't forget we're—"

"'—walking Odette down the aisle together'" Emma finished for her. "I know Mom." She reached over and touched Snow's shoulder gently. "Calm down, everything will go perfectly!"

"Oh I hope so," Snow answered, a bit flustered. "I better go see if the dwarves are finished setting up the dance floor!"

Both Emma and Hook shared a laugh.

"She certainly likes to be in charge of these things," Hook commented.

Emma chuckled, "That's my mom for you…Snow White, the fairest of them all." _Damn it never gets old saying that._

When the setting sun turned the lake water's golden, at last it was time.

Odette, Emma, and Snow White emerged from behind the tree line, ready to take the slow walk down the aisle. Odette gripped Emma's hand as if it was the only thing keeping her on the ground. From his position underneath the arch Derek kept looking at her and grinning a helpless smile. She in turn could not keep her eyes off of him.

The groom looked magnificent in his black and white jacket. The bride likewise was stunning in her simple white dress. It was also cut in the fashion of the Enchanted Forest, but with a few Storybrooke personalized touches. Namely the white wings that decorated the back and the feathers all around. As the princess stepped towards the aisle Snow could tell that her knees were trembling a bit.

Reaching over, she gave the princess a reassuring touch. Odette acknowledged her maid-of-honor with a grateful smile before straightening a bit and then continuing the walk down the aisle. Emma, at Odette left side, beamed with pleasure. Hook stood to the far right of Derek, grinning just as much. Waverly and Rayne stood behind and the wolf's golden eyes glittered. In the small ensemble of seated wedding guests Dopey was smiling happily and Dr. Ameyew dabbed at his eyes with an already tear-dampened handkerchief.

When the princess and the prince were lined up in front of Jiminy, the former cricket straightened up, clasping his hands. Behind them, the small assembly fell silent, ready to hear the vows.

Jiminy adjusted his glasses, a gesture that he always did when he performed wedding vows, and began: "It is my great honor to officiate this momentous occasion. These two people are ready to share a life in this world, and they have proven themselves to each other in their strength and in their hearts. And now…they wish to be wedded. To continue their adventures together, as man and wife."

Odette and Derek's hands tightened on each other's and it was clear they were thinking the same thing: _It's finally happening!_

"Here in front of all…both of you will bound not only by your words but by your own hearts."

He met Derek's eyes.

"Do you, Prince Derek, take this woman as your wife, and will you love and honor her for the rest of your days?"

"I will," he said in a strong voice.

Jiminy looked into Odette's eyes. "And do you, Princess Odette, take this man as your husband, and will you love and honor him for the rest of your days?"

"I will," she said in a clear voice that mimicked Derek's.

"Then, before your friends and your family, I now pronounce you…husband and wife."

As Derek took Odette into his arms and kissed her, everyone applauded at once. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back, just as passionately. Everyone clapped harder. The wolf howled a joyous sound, using her voice where her hands were not available.

Later on everyone sat down to the wedding feast. The long table had been decorated with a white table cloth and ladled with delicious food for all. Even Rayne joined in. Emma was a bit surprised when the wolf jumped into one of the table chairs and settled herself with the rest of the seated guests but, since no one else batted an eye, she shrugged and turned back to her meal.

 _Only in a town like Storybrooke,_ she thought happily.

Snow, with a few tears in her eyes, hugged Odette. "Odette, thank you for having me. I know I failed you back in the Enchanted Forest but now, you honor me to be here at this wedding. Thank you."

Odette wiped the tear from Snow's cheek. "There is nothing to forgive Snow. You helped me when no one else could and now, we are all here because of that. Thank you."

Later on a band picked up their instruments and everyone crowded to the dance floor, which was simply a flattened space near the lake that had been covered with a wooden-boarded area and railings. The bride and groom swayed to a slow waltz underneath the glittering paper lanterns and strings of twinkling colored lights. Emma and Hook stood to the side a little, watching the happy couple. Emma could not help the swell of pride in her heart; she had done this. She had helped Odette and Derek, made their lives better. She was the Savior.

 _Everyone deserves their happy ending,_ she thought to herself. _And I am the one to help them get it._

While the Savior and her pirate were standing quietly Waverly approached, Rayne trotting at her heals. "Hello Savior," she said. Emma smiled. Waverly's speaking had vastly improved since they had first met. Mermaids were quick learners and Waverly had been living and learning about life in Storybrooke these past few days in an effort to prepare for the wedding.

She was dressed in a beautiful, full-length golden dress, complete with sea shell accessories and sea weed woven into her hair. She joined Emma and Hook in watching Odette and Derek, beaming at the sight of the two. "I am very glad she found her mate," she said. Emma nodded in agreement. "I think she fought very hard and very long to be with him." She looked up at the Savior and smiled even wider. "And I am glad I got to meet you too Savior. I will tell all under the sea how you saved the Swan Princess."

"Thank you," Emma replied. _And I will happily carry that mantle of 'Savior' again._

As the mermaid and wolf wandered off Emma's attention turned to the dancing couples. Her parents had joined Odette and Derek on the dance floor; Grumpy was swaying with a rather tall woman that Emma knew was one of the sisters at the Storybrooke nunnery, and Dr. Ameyew had his wife in his arms.

For a moment, they just stood there, enjoying the view and each other's company. Emma tightened her grip on her husband's hand and was about to turn and ask him something when he beat her to it. "Care to dance love?"

She smiled. "You know it pirate."

They stepped onto the dance floor together and assumed the waltz position. With Hook's hand in hers and the familiar 6-part beat in the air Emma felt her heart lift and her spirits soar.

"I love you", she whispered as they started to sway.

"I love you, now, and always," he whispered back.

They swayed back and forth to the music. _For someone who did not even know what a waltz was a few years ago, I think I do pretty good,_ Emma thought with pardonable pride.

As they moved across the dance floor they came close to Derek and Odette. The Swan Princess took her eyes off her beloved for a moment to acknowledge Emma with a grateful smile and a small nod of the head. The gesture spoke volumes of her gratitude to the Savior.

Emma smiled at the sight, as did Hook.

"You did it Swan," he said. "You saved them."

"Yeah…I did, didn't I?" Emma answered. Her husband led her into a twirl and she could not help her sigh of satisfaction.

"So how does it feel to be the Savior again?" asked her husband.

Emma tilted her head back, her smile widening further. "Amazing actually."

"I knew you could do it. Never once doubted you."

Emma chucked. "I think I more than made up for that."

The two fell silent as they let the music wash over them and continued to dance.

"Swan," Hook quietly spoke up. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Well, now that you know your Savior adventures are not over and you will still be helping others get their happy endings have you ever thought about the next steps in our own 'happy beginning' as you called it?"

Emma tilted her head. "In what way?"

Her husband looked surprisingly bashful. "Um, not to say that we have to talk about it now but…well, you had Henry and he is a fine lad indeed but I thought maybe…if you would like give a try at the whole thing again that we could—"

Emma showed mercy by silencing him with a finger over his lips, smiling. "Killian," she touched the stubble on his left cheek, "I know what you're trying to ask and—"she nodded "—I think we would make excellent parents."

The pirate's eyes brightened like two stars. "Really?" His smile was hopeful and so darn adorable, Emma's heart just about melted.

"Yes, really." She stroked his cheek, smiling just as hard right back at him. "I am definitely still the Savior but you and I have our own adventures to do, as a family."

The pirate's smile widened even further. "Aye love," his hold on her tightened and the two stopped dancing just for a moment. They were too lost in the moment to concentrate on anything else. "I just have one request."

Emma tilted her head. _Odd thing to bring up now._ "And what is that?"

"If we have a little girl, her name will be 'Hope'," replied the pirate. Not a note of hesitation was in his voice.

Emma tilted her head. "Hope," she turned the name over in her head. "I love it."

 **The End**

…

 _Phew! That was a couple of years in the making; first came up with the story idea way back in 2016 while I was doing research in Oz._

 _Anyway, it is now the end of an era. Rayne (i.e. me!) will be having more adventures but likely no longer in the 'Once' realms._

 _If you enjoyed it please let me know how in a review. Many many thanks to my readers, you know who you are, for your support and your views. I hope the ending was alright._


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